Andres Iniesta still sidelined as Barcelona clash with Bate Borisov in Champions League fixture
Bate Borisov and Barcelona will clash for the first time in history in tonight’s Champions League group match, and despite home advantage the Belarus-based side are trading as big as 25.0 in the full time result market. In fact, of this week’s matches in Europe’s premier tournament they are the biggest price of any team in this market.
Bate qualified fairly comfortable for the group stages over two legs against Sturm Graz, and earned a creditable draw away to Viktoria Plzen in their opening match of the competition proper, but it’s fair to say that on a regular basis they do not face opponents with anywhere near the collective or individual quality of La Bluagrana, and one suspects that the likes of Lionel Messi will be able to carve out plenty of opportunities in this encounter.
In former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman, Bate possess a player capable of scoring on the highest stage, but Pep Guardiola now has his preferred back four available, with Gerard Pique recently joining Carles Puyol back in the side following injury so Kezman won’t find opportunities easy to come by. Moreover, in the middle of the park the hosts will find it nigh-on impossible to cope with the artistry, flair and general keep-ball of Barcelona, despite the continued absence of one of their playmakers-in-chief, Andres Iniesta.
It would be unwise to expect a footballing masterclass from the Spanish and European champions in this match. In all probability, Guardiola will be happy to see his side produce a workmanlike display, get the three points and head home before preparing for the weekend’s La Liga match. Indeed, it’s unlikely that Barca will produce pyrotechnics akin to those which saw them blow away Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou on Saturday, a match they won 5-0.
There’s a good chance that Bate will be sent out with the objective of maintaining a clean sheet until the interval, after which anything will be bonus. With this in mind, I’m keen on draw/Barcelona in the half time/full time market, with Betfred offering tempting odds of 9-2 about this eventuality. For all Barcelona’s class and superiority, it could turn out to be just one of those matches in which it will take time for them to warm to the task in unfamiliar surroundings, and hopefully from a punting perspective it won’t be until the second half that they finally – and inevitably – break the deadlock.