Bayer Leverkusen Barcelona Odds : Value with Germans in Champions League betting after Catalan’s dramatic loss
Pep Guardiola may have already accepted that this year’s La Liga title might finally be beyond his Barcelona side, having fallen ten points behind Real Madrid following their 3-2 defeat to Osasuna on Saturday.
The charismatic manager must now take his side to Germany to face Bayer Leverkusen, with the German’s side’s price of 8/1 sure to attract huge attention from punters across Europe after a dip in form from the current Champions. Footybunker.com visitors can pick up Ladbrokes free bets on the game.
However, you do not get the tag of ‘world’s greatest ever football team’ without being a threat on all fronts, and surely now the Champions’ League will become their biggest target.
It is a competition that they have dominated in recent seasons – their latest victory coming against Manchester United at Wembley last season.
Barcelona’s mercurial manager will now be looking to put their Osasuna defeat firmly behind them as they set their sights on Bayer Leverkusen.
Ladbrokes have been in touch to tell us they will offer free bets worth £50/€50 to all Footybunker.com visitors to spend on the midweek Europa or Champions League! Exclusive offer – claim here!
For them, the knock-out stages begin with a seemingly favourable tie against the German side Bayer Leverkusen. Normally, this would appear to be a tricky ties, but Leverkusen find themselves missing a number of key players, including Michael Ballack and Rene Adler.
Nevertheless, it is not a game that Barcelona will be taking lightly. Their opponents qualified from a tricky group that included both Chelsea and Valencia, as well as the Belgian side KRC Genk.
It has been an up and down season so far for Bayer Leverkusen, though. Currently, they find themselves sitting sixth in the Bundesliga table, and as yet, not on target to qualify for next season’s Champions’ League.
Furthermore, they have been on the wrong end of some recent heavy defeats, including a 4-1 against Cologne and a 3-0 at Bayern Munich.
As well as being without Ballack and Adler, there will also be some other key absences for Leverkusen, with Sidney Sam, Erin Derdiyok and Tranquillo Barnetta all missing out.
Barcelona will go into the game with injury problems of their own. Most notably they will be without David Villa and Sergio Busquets, while Andreu Fontas, Seydou Keita and Ibrahim Afellay will be missing too.
Regardless of what happened at the weekend, this should still be Barcelona’s game. They will be looking to remind the world of what they are all about, so expect fireworks.
