Champions League final betting preview

Wednesday's Champions League final between Barcelona and Arsenal in Paris has all the requisite ingredients to be an absolute classic, and I can't envisage it failing to deliver. Arguably the best two players in the world at present will be squaring up against each other for the first time in their respective club football careers - Ronaldinho and Henry - and, if the rumours are true, Henry could be heading to Spain at the end of the season to join forces with the Brazilian wizard. In essence, while Arsenal will be chasing the ultimate prize in club football on Wednesday night, they will be simultaneously aiming to retain one of the prized signatures in the game, that of their inspirational and talismanic captain. Despite the cloud of doubt regarding Henry's future that has been hovering over Highbury during the final quarter of the season, Arsene Wenger's men have been playing out of their skin and, following Spurs' failure to beat West Ham in their final Premiership fixture, Arsenal are now guaranteed Champions League football next season, the first at their new home, the Emirates Stadium, whatever happens on Wednesday evening. However, with his new contract offer still unsigned, they are not guaranteed Henry next season, and winning the Champions League is the best possible way that the Gunners can demonstrate to their star man that he doesn't need to look elsewhere to fulfil his aspirations. Remember, Steven Gerrard was virtually wearing a Chelsea scarf until the Reds defeated AC Milan in the final of this tournament last season, after which he extended his Anfield contract. Arsenal are at their most dangerous when perceived as the underdogs, so the fact that Barca are favourites across the board will not weight heavy on the minds of those representing the north London side. But, it has to be said, Barcelona have looked every inch the best side in Europe this season and they will be extremely hard to beat. Despite the creative talent within the Catalan side, they also play responsibly, as they demonstrated when eliminating AC Milan in the semi-final, beating the Italian giants 1-0 at the San Siro before holding them to a 0-0 draw at the Nou Camp in the second leg. Essentially, they possess tactical acumen to match their flair and, as such, it's hard to uncover any obvious chinks in their armour. Barca's key man, Ronaldinho, does things with the ball which belie both belief and gravity at times. However, there is a way in which the Gunners can minimise his impact. That is, to not mark him too tightly. This may sound strange, but the Brazilian is invariably tightly marked in his games, and invariably runs rings around those employed to hound him. But if Arsenal refrain from trying to close him down every time he picks the ball up, standing off ever so slightly rather than rushing into try and wrest the ball from him, which is virtually impossible, then they will force him into passing the ball earlier, and this way the north London side will be keeping more players behind the ball, rather than being weakened defensively by sending the soldiers behind enemy lines. Easier said than done, I know. Plus, Barca are by no means a one-man show. Deco and Giuly are both incisive midfielders of the highest calibre, while Samuel Eto'o is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the deadliest predators in front of goal. Tactics will play a crucial role in this game and, while both sides are habitually attack-minded, they have both approached the latter stages of this competition with a great deal of discipline. This may seem obvious - indeed, we're talking about the knock-out stages of the Champions League - but, interestingly, they have scored just ten goals between them in the twelve matches they have played during the last three rounds. An equally interesting stat is that, in the dozen games in question, nine of the fixtures were all square at the interval. More to the point, in the nine games alluded to, their were no goals in the first half. Therefore, from a betting perspective, nothing appeals more than the 11/8 on offer about zero in the total goals 1st half market, since the value is marginally better than backing the draw in the half-time result market, which is a top-priced 11/10 with VCBet To be candid, I can see this match going to the wire and, perhaps, beyond and into extra time, maybe even penalties. As such, I can't resist a wee punt on draw/draw in the double result market at 4/1 with totesport. Ultimately, I think Barca will be holding the silverware aloft in the end. But I reckon it might take more than ninety minutes of football to settle what looks set to be a cracking game. Recommended Bets: 3pts 0 goals in the total goals 1st half market @ 11/8 (Paddy Power)1pt draw/draw in the double result market @ 4/1 (totesport)