Barcelona v Arsenal: Expect Goals

The bookies are making it very hard to simply back Barcelona to win on Tuesday night at odds no better than 3/10. Tipping the Spanish giants to overcome the one goal deficit and progress past Arsenal, and into the quarter finals, is still only a 4/11 shot with Boylesports. The Gunners are a 23/10 shot to secure a famous two-leg victory over the favourites.

The problem with backing the English team is that it’s very hard to give them a cat in hell’s chance. The trip to the Nou Camp looked daunting before Wenger’s side lost their nerve at Wembley in the Carling Cup Final. Any hope that this crushing disappointment would be swiftly put behind them disappeared, along with two dropped points, in the 0-0 home draw with out of form Sunderland on Saturday. Make no mistake, Arsenal are rocking and they’re now heading to the toughest venue in world football, short of confidence.

Ok, how about some good news for the Londoners? Arsenal’s best player, Cesc Fabregas, is almost certain to return to the team on Wednesday night. Furthermore, Barcelona will be without their first choice centre back pairing, as captain Carles Puyol has a knee problem and Gerard Pique is suspended. This doesn’t make me think that Arsenal are going to win, but it does make me think they can score in the Nou Camp. It’s unthinkable that the home sided won’t find the net so a good tip may be both teams to score at 5/6 with Coral.