It’s no surprise that the headliner fixture from UEFA Champions League group stage match day six of six is in grouping F. This group, which FC Barcelona has already clinched, is the strongest one of all. Tuesday night sees Barcelona, already through to the UCL knockout round having accumulated 11 points, travel to the San Siro to take on Inter Milan.
Inter currently sit second in the group with seven points, level on points with third place Borussia Dortmund, but ahead via goal differential (+2 to BVB’s -1) Both sides have two wins, two losses and a draw thus far in group stage play. The Serie A side is tipped to win here, with book makers like Zulabet Casino backing Antonio Conte’s side to get the win, and thus most likely grab the second of the two round of 16 berths from group F. You’ll typically find Internazionale backed at about -159 on the money line, with Barca priced usually around +310. A draw can be had at about +370.
The Google result probability shows a 59% chance for an Inter win, 18% for a victory from the visiting Catalan club and 23% for a draw. The result could hinge on how effective Ernesto Valverde is at stifling the high flying duo of Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku. The former is reportedly wanted by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, as a potential long term replacement for all time leading scorer Sergio Aguero. The latter moved in the summer from Manchester United, and it was a move that was best for all involved. The sensational scoring duo have combined to produce 24 goals already this season, and you can see just how well the pair of forwards fit Conte’s system.
Perhaps Lionel Messi, fresh off claiming his sixth Ballon d’Or, can lead a Barca line that will be more prolific in this match and win a shoot out? If so, it would definitely be an upset as they just don’t have as much to play for in this match as Inter do. It’s likely we’ll see ambition potentially match the result.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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