Champions League Barcelona vs PSV
Begins this Tuesday at Camp Nou, the walk of Barcelona towards the much desired achievement of the new edition of the Champions League.
Falling in the “quarters” more times than expected in recent years, the Catalan club is strongly committed this year to re-raise the most important trophy of international club football and has here the first step, in a group with potential to be matreito, but where belongs to Barcelona the favorite status to follow ahead as first classified.
In addition to PSV Eindhoven, the Italians of Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspots are part of Group B, giving the outline of a “death group”, not only because Group C hosts Liverpool, PSG and Naples.
The walk of Barcelona in the Spanish League has been perfect so far. 4 games, 4 victories, the last one, obtained with a turnaround (2-1) in Anoeta, before Real Sociedad, was worth even the rise to the isolated leadership of the table, since Real Madrid was not able to surpass Athletic in Bilbao.
In the previous rounds, the set of Ernesto Valverde beat Deportivo Alavés (3-0), Real Valladolid (1-0) and Recreativo Huesva (8-2).
PSV Eindhoven has hopes of at least reaching the Europa League via 3rd place, however theoretically it is the least affirmative force of Group C, being expected to discuss with Inter for that third place, this considering that Tottenham is growing in European terms, after already having its status in England solidified.
Mark Van Bommel’s team, a former Dutch international who replaced Philipp Cocu in PSV’s command after spending a season in the Eindhoven club’s youth team, started the season by missing the Dutch Super Cup for Feyenoord in the penalty shoot-outs, 0-0 in regular time, but since then he only knows how to win.
In the Eredivisie, in the image of Barcelona in Spain, already leads in an isolated way the classification, with 15 points in 5 games, meaning that have not lost points, having scored a fantastic number of 21 goals in the five matches and suffered only 3. In the last days, they thrashed Willem II at home 6-1 and ADO Den Haag away 7-0.
PSV are in the group stage after starting their campaign in this edition of the Champions League in the playoffs, where they eliminated without great difficulties the Belarusians of BATE Borisov.
Away from home, they won 3-2 in the first leg, finishing the service with a clear 3-0 win at home on Monday.
In theory, if the Dutch want to have chances of leaving Spain with points of this duel, they will have to be perfect in the defensive aspect and, preferably, to hurt Barcelona in the counterattack, an aspect where they are extremely effective.
Only I can not imagine a very competent display in defensive terms, this PSV is the brand image of Dutch football, a team formatted to attack, press high, to give spectacle and for more merit that Van Bommel has in the excellent start in the Eredivisie I do not think that it will be able to prepare its lads to play in the error of the adversary.
Get more Barcelona vs PSV betting tips and predictions
To play at home, Barcelona will enter strong, will want in this first game to tell what comes in this Champions League, the next game of the Spanish League is scheduled for Sunday ahead of Girona, again at Camp Nou, so there will be no reservations, nor do I believe in slowdowns in pace.
I hope, yes, that if they have chances the Catalans will try to thrash and as much margin as possible, I do not see the PSV capable of sustaining the attack of this club, still can score and for more than once, so I will escape the handicaps, I believe in 4 or even more goals in this game but the odds are very well adjusted in my opinion and so I see value in a bet that I consider as safe as it is prudent: a Barcelona goal in each half of the challenge.
Betting Tips: Barcelona marks on both sides
Odds: 1.41
