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Barcelona v Villarreal Odds: Messi can get Barca off to winning start

The delayed 2011/12 La Liga season got underway this weekend following strike action and Monday night is the turn of champions and favourites to win their fourth La Liga title in a row this season. Pep Guardiola's side kick off their campaign at home against Villarreal, the side who finished fourth in last season's La Liga, a whole 34 points behind the champions. With Barcelona as short as 4/7 to win the league, it's no surprise that bookmaker Paddy Power makes the Catalan side 2/9 to win Monday's match, with the draw 5/1 and the away side a massive 12/1.

Despite the odds, Villarreal have a decent recent record against Barcelona at the Nou Camp. A 3-1 defeat here last season was preceeded two draws and a win for the team nicknamed the 'Yellow Submarines'. Both teams have been in pre-season action, with Barcelona playing out an aggregate win over Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup and also defeating Porto in the European Super cup 2-0 last Friday in Monaco. Villarreal have had more competitive action, coming through their Champions League play-off match with Danish side Odense.

Barcelona are worthy favourites for this match but the 2/9 offers little value. With so much attacking talent on display goals are surely the way to go with this, with the betting reflecting this. Villarreal like to attack and in Nilmar and Giussepe Rossi they have a talented strikeforce. Paddy Power go odds of 8/11 for both teams to score which doesn't make much appeal, and the under 2.5 goals odds of 4/11 are equally short. There might be more value backing over 3.5 goals at even money.

Barcelona won this fixture 3-1 last season and that scoreline returns odds of 17/2 in the betting for this match. With both teams intent on forward play, the 2/1 about Barcelona to score four or more goals can be backed at odds of 2/1 which makes some appeal, whilst Lionel Messi is surely a popular bet in the scorer markets. The Argentinian scored the first goal in the 2-0 Super Cup win over Porto last week and is 5/2 to open the scoring at the Camp Nou on Monday. Paddy Power price up a Barcelona win and Messi to score at 8/15 such is the regularity of that outcome, so we like the look of a Lionel Messi first scorer in a 4-1 home win as a big priced scorecast at 33/1.

Barcelona v Villarreal Form

Check the season's statistics for both Barcelona and Villarreal plus the odds ahead of Monday's match.

Barcelona Stats | Villarreal Stats

Barcelona v Villarreal Tips

Tip #1: Over 3.5 goals @ odds of evens with Paddy Power.
Tip #2: Barcelona to score 4 or more goals @ odds of 2/1 with Paddy Power.
Tip #3: Lionel Messi to score first in a 4-1 home win @ odds of 33/1 with Paddy Power.

Barcelona v Villarreal Odds

Match Betting

2/9 Barcelona
5/1 Draw
12/1 Villarreal

Correct Score Odds

8/1 Barcelona 1-0
6/1 Barcelona 2-0
15/2 Barcelona 2-1
22/1 Draw 0-0
10/1 Draw 1-1
18/1 Draw 2-2
40/1 Villarreal 1-0
100/1 Villarreal 2-0
33/1 Villarreall 2-1

First Goalscorer Odds

5/2 Lionel Messi
3/1 David Villa
5/1 Pedro
6/1 Cesc Fabregas
11/2 Alexis Sanchez
11/2 Andres Iniesta
11/1 Xavi
12/1 Nilmar
12/1 Giuseppe Rossi
16/1 Dani Alves
20/1 Gerard Pique

Odds supplied by PaddyPower.com, plus over 100 other markets on this match and all live La Liga fixtures, including live betting in-running.

Posted: Monday, 29th August 2011
Author: Russell Lloyd
Tags: barcelona, villarreal, lionel messi, paddypower,

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