Champions League Semifinal: Two of The World’s Best Battle for a Place In The Final

When Liverpool and Barcelona take the field at Camp Nou tomorrow afternoon, it will be an all-star affair. 

Messi vs Salah. 

Suarez vs Mane.

Coutinho vs Firmino.

Pique vs Fabinho.

Alba vs van Dijk.

Two of Europe’s top teams at the top of their tables (or a single point away) and at the top of their games. Sorry Ajax and Tottenham, but this feels like a final to all the rest of us. How good are these two teams? Let’s break it down:

Barcelona

• Not only did they sew up La Liga on Saturday, but they also play Valencia later this month in the  Spanish Cup final, setting up a chance for yet another treble.
• Barcelona has gone unbeaten in 31 games at home in the UCL, a record that seems like it’ll stand for a while.
• They’ve only lost twice this year in La Liga. 
• Ousmane Dembele and Kevin Price Boateng will most likely start on the bench. ON THE BENCH.
• They have this guy called Lionel Messi, who, once again, is playing like the legend he is. He scored his 34^thgoal of the La Liga season on Saturday, and is averaging more than a goal per game (!) once again this year.

Liverpool

• Unlike fellow Premier League semi-finalists Tottenham, Liverpool are peaking at the end of the season, having won 10 games in a row in all competitions. 
• Of those 10 wins, they’ve won five in a row on the road. Plus they won both of their away legs in their previous knock-out ties.
• They score. A lot. 29 goals in their last 10 games.
• Salah and Mané are #1 and 2 in Premier League scoring this year, with 41 goals between them.
• They play defense. Well. Led by the PFA Player of the Year Virgil van Dijk, they were the Premier League’s best defense by far.

So, in short, they’re both great teams, playing great soccer. We knew that already. 

It’ll be an entertaining match-up to watch as a fan, but with so many things to wager on, what should we know as a bettor?

• For one, for Wednesday’s game, odds makers really like Barcelona (-115), while a bet on a possible tie (+275) or a Liverpool win (+320)will reward a confident Reds fan handsomely. There’s some precedent to a Liverpool win or tie, namely their away form, their stout defense, and the fact previous European teams (Lyon and Spurs) have found a way to score at Camp Nou.
• In a bet for First To Score, Messi is at +310, while Mané and Salah are at +650. Yes, the same Lionel Messi of 34 league goals, and the same Sané and Salah of 20 and 21 league goals. I don’t know about you, but there’s a pretty good chance one of these three will find the net first.
• You can find some good odds if you dig into the Team Scoring categories. With the way both teams seem to score, both “Home Team To Win and Both Teams To Score(+240),” as well as “ Tie and Both Teams To Score(+340)” feel like good bets to wager on, if not in the first leg, when teams often come out a little tighter) then definitely look for it in leg 2.

Of course, there are tons of other fun bets to place, from cards to corners to naming first player booked. Place your bets, and enjoy one of the great match-ups of the year.