Barcelona's bid to avoid going out of the UEFA Champions League after the group stage for a third successive season begins with the visit of reigning Belgian champions Antwerp on Tuesday.
Antwerp are back in the competition for the first time since their debut appearance in 1957, beating AEK Athens home and away in the play-offs this time around to become part of Group H, which also contains Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Visiting boss Mark van Bommel was a team-mate of Barca boss Xavi Hernandez in the Spanish side's Champions League triumph in 2006, and the Netherlands international was also a runner-up with Bayern Munich in 2010.
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Xavi's players have not dropped points in any of their four league matches since their goalless draw with Getafe to start the season. Having won La Liga in convincing fashion for their first title in four years last season, fans of the five-time European champions will be hopeful that they can re-establish themselves as contenders in the Champions League as part of a winnable-looking group.
Antwerp have the advantage of being a relatively unknown quantity. Van Bommel has guided them to 11 points from six Pro League matches, as well as a six-match unbeaten run in all competitions since they lost 1-0 to Anderlecht in their second game of the campaign.
Barcelona vs Antwerp prediction, odds
Barcelona are huge favourites with bookmakers to begin with a win, making the long odds for Antwerp to spring a shock tempting – although the huge step up from their usual quality of opposition and lack of form against Europe's elite in recent seasons are dissuading factors.
To lengthen the odds on backing Barca, consider choosing Ferran Torres to score: the Spain forward has averaged roughly a goal every 32 minutes this season, scoring in three of his four appearances.
| BAR | Draw | ANT win | Both teams to score Y / N | Over / Under 2.5 goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | -550 | +650 | +1300 | -108 / -130 | -275 / +195 |
Check out the best Barcelona vs. Antwerp bets on Sports Interaction for fans in Canada
Torres found the net again on his first start on Saturday, helping his side to extend their winning run with a 5-0 victory against Real Betis.
Barcelona have kept clean sheets in both of their home games and three of their five overall, making the win-to-nil option another viable way to extend their price.
Viewers who fancy Antwerp to become the first team to score at Barcelona this season can find odds of +150 for a home win and both teams to net, and the small sample size from Belgian top-flight games gives cause for optimism: Antwerp have scored the second-most goals (12) and conceded the second-fewest (4) in the division.
Antwerp are also undefeated in all but one of their last 10 European matches and unbeaten in their last six outside of Belgium, scoring in 13 of their last 14 away games on the continent.
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TSN's prediction: Barcelona to win 2-0 (+625 on BetMGM)
TSN's best bet: Barcelona to win to nil and Ferran Torres to score anytime (+233 on BetMGM)
