Barcelona vs Lyon
This season’s Champions League is already starting to look like the best in years, with world-class football, last-minute drama and big, big casualties.
And now it’s the turn of Ligue 1 side Lyon to try to upset the elite when Bruno Genesio takes Les Gones to the Camp Nou to take on the might of Barcelona. The first leg ended in a goalless draw and that’s always an uncomfortable scoreline for the team without an away goal. Olympique Lyonnais has the firepower and the underdogs are prepared to roar.
There have already been some high profile casualties in the Round of 16 and that’s opened up the 2019 tournament for the teams still standing.
Can we possibly beat last week’s Champions League 2019 highlights, which saw late VAR drama see off PSG and a brilliant Ajax team humble Real Madrid? Well, make sure you have a seat on Wednesday because there’s only one way to find out.
Talking Points
Barca’s big chance
With the carnage of last week’s shock results still fresh in the memory the Champions League 2019 betting odds have Barcelona as the second favourite, after Manchester City, to lift the title in May, at odds of 4.80. That assumes the Blaugrana can avoid an upset, and put the French to the sword.
Ernesto Valverde’s team had to work harder than they’d hoped to beat struggling Rayo Vallecano at the weekend, having to come from behind and failing to kill the game off until 80 minutes.
But Lionel Messi is in the form of his life and, alongside Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic, he is part of a creative force which can tear apart any defence on its day. Lyon will hope it misfires at the Camp Nou and that their defensive leader, Leo Dubois, plays as he did in France where he didn’t put a foot wrong all night.
Lyon’s danger men
Holding Barcelona to a draw at the Stade des Lumieres has kept Genesio’s team in the tie longer than many expected, and it could have been even better for the French had Ter Stegen not made a brilliant fingertip save to deny Martin Terrier.
Olympique Lyonnais is sitting in third place in Ligue 1, set fair to qualify for next season’s Champions League but they certainly haven’t given up on this year’s competition; and they have an impressive attacking arsenal of their own. Their league top scorer Moussa Dembele scored twice in Lyon’s recent match away to Strasbourg, but Les Gones let a two-goal lead slip to draw, and if they get their noses in front on Wednesday they will have to fight like lions.
Former Manchester United winger Memphis Depay is at home in Lyon, and while he has a decent eye for goal, he is Les Gones top assist maker in the competition with four.
Lyon’s most dangerous player, long-time Liverpool target Nabil Fekir, was suspended for the first leg and he will be one to watch, and keen to add to his three competition goals so far. He was a big miss for the hosts at the Stade des Lumieres and Barca better beware.
History
This is the first time in seven years that Lyon has appeared in the knockout phase of the Champions League and they have lost five of their last six encounters in the Round of 16.
But Les Gones can beat the best, as they showed when they opened their campaign with a 2-1 win over favourites Manchester City. They followed that up with five draws, and have only lost one of their last 11 European matches.
Genesio’s side is a force in France, winning its first Ligue 1 title in 2002 and then following that up with another six in succession! They reached the quarter-final of the Champions League twice and the semi-final of the 2010 competition.
But they are up against the best player in world football on current form, and Messi’s Barcelona is unbeaten in 11 games and on a winning streak of four. So a scoring draw looks to be the visitors’ best chance, and that’s certainly not out of the question. In the five previous meetings between these two teams, there have been three draws while Barca won the other two.
Let’s take a look at the latest SBOBET odds and make a call for the next clash.
Betting Tip
 |
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Barcelona vs Lyon | First Half Over 1.50 @ 2.19 |
| March 14, 04:00 (GMT+8) |
Barcelona is widely expected to win this tie and progress to the quarter-finals at odds of 1.22, while the draw is available at 6.20 and Lyon way out there at odds of 10.50.
The French will come with a plan to frustrate, but Messi just needs the slightest opening, and with the scoring talent Les Gones’ possesses I can’t see another goalless draw. If either team gets an early goal that is bound to provoke a reaction.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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