BARCELONA VS ARSENAL 2ND HALF LIVE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BETTING TIPS
What an opening 45 minutes that was! Arsenal started about 10,000 times better than they did at the Emirates and managed to sneak that early goal that we had speculated about here. Cue Lionel Messi to step up and slot home three first rate goals. Unfortunately for me, I think Messi should have been made an example of and been shown a red card for what was probably the most pathetic embellishment/dive I’ve ever seen.
Denilson won that ball perfectly, but Messi’s theatrics have really taken the shine off his performance for me. I don’t know how long referees are going to tolerate behaviour like that, and I’m not sure a retroactive ban can actually happen in Europe, but I genuinely hope that people don’t forget about that dive. The supposed “Best Player in the World” shouldn’t have to roll around and scream and try to, basically, cheat his way to a win. It’s a blemish on the game and its no fun to watch when class players resort to tactics like that. You have to appreciate his footballing ability, but I don’t appreciate Messi as a grown man after such a cynical display of gamesmanship.
Regardless, with the score now sitting at 3-1 in Barcelona’s favour and 5-3 on aggregate Arsenal are listed at 40/1 to win the match and progress to the next stage. Barcelona are listed at a miniscule 1/66 to progress and they look firmly in pole position.
Arsenal are 12/1 to qualify for the next stage by any means.
Arsenal pushing forward opened up so much space for Lionel Messi who, confident that he will get the call from the referee every time, has been playing with some real verve today. Arsenal’s defence has been exposed for what it truly is- a second rate conglomeration who just cannot face up against the best in the world.
Lionel Messi is trading at 11/4 to score the next goal while Bojan is listed at 5/1. I have a feeling that Arsenal may get the next one so be sure to keep your eyes on Bendtner or Walcott, who are priced at 8/1 and 11/1 respectively.
I expected a lot more from Samir Nasri and he is listed at 14/1 to score next. If Arsenal are going to do anything then Nasri needs to step up and make it all happen.
Arsenal players may be sent back onto the field with instructions to break Messi’s leg or remove him from the match by injury- it certainly seems that Barcelona will do whatever it takes to win- as exemplified by Messi’s sorry embellishment to trick the referee and attempt to get a fellow professional sent off. The question is: do two wrongs make a right?
I’m interested to see how many bets actually come in Arsenal over half-time. The value is certainly there, but it will take a performance for the ages to pull this off.