INTER MILAN VS BARCELONA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL LATEST TIPS PART ONE

After enduring a lengthy bus trip that I’m sure most multi-millionaires aren’t accustomed to, Barcelona are finally ready to take the field in Milan as they take on Jose Mourinho’s Inter side today. The bookmakers don’t seem to think the players will be affected too much by their blue-collar method of travel and top bookie William Hill has listed Barcelona as the 13/10 favourites to score the away victory in today’s match.

The draw is available at an 11/5 price and I think if Barca can notch an away goal or two they would be more than happy to leave Italy with a draw. Should Jose Mourinho’s side be able to nullify the attacking prowess of the Catalan Club and pull off a home victory- you’re looking at a 21/10 price. Not bad odds for a team sitting a close second in Serie A table.
A quick examination of the correct score market indicates that a 1-1 draw is the shortest-priced selection, carrying odds of 5/1. This is usually the case in close matches between quality sides, but 5/1 is a shade short- which indicates extra confidence from the bookies. Barca to win 1-0 pays 11/2 while Inter are 13/2 to win 1-0. A 2-1 result to Inter pays 10/1 while Barca to win by the same scoreline is priced at 8/1. Both sides trade at 33/1 for a 3-2 win.
The only way I think we’ll get a higher scoring match with 5 or 6 goals is if Barca score very early and Inter push forward in numbers. While good attacking is going to be what most fans are paying attention to, the real battle in this two-legged fixture comes down to containment. If Mourinho can contain Barca’s midfield and shackle Lionel Messi without offering too much exposure to Barcelona’s other match-winners then they will likely take the victory. If Barcelona can keep clean sheets and nullify Inter’s counter-attacking exploits then you can rest assured that the Spanish Champs are in pole position.