Barcelona take on Sporting CP at the Camp Nou next week, with the Spanish giants looking to confirm their position at the top of Group D in the Champions League with a win. The La Liga leaders are the firm favourites for victory, however with their opponents still in with a chance of making the knockout phase of the competition, the Spanish giants may not have things their own way.
Champions League – Camp Nou, Barcelona – Tuesday 5th December – 19:45 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 5 at PaddyPower |
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FC Barcelona
Sporting LisbonMatch Preview
Despite having already qualified from Group D, Barcelona will be going all out for three points when they take on Sporting CP in the Champions League next week. Ernesto Valverde’s side are unbeaten in Europe so far this season, with another win confirming their place at the top of the group. However, Sporting have shown their qualities in the competition over recent weeks, with manager Jorge Jesus looking to inspire a famous victory at the Camp Nou. For those still unsure of who to back, let’s take a closer look at the two teams, as well as our top betting tip.
Barcelona Team News & Form
A goalless draw with Juventus at the Allianz Stadium last time around confirmed Barcelona’s place in the next phase of the Champions League, while Valverde’s men consolidated their position at the top of the La Liga standings with a 1-1 draw at Valencia over the weekend. Despite still being without record signing Ousmane Dembele, with the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in their starting line-up, Barcelona are a match for any team. The Spanish giants have conceded just one goal in their five matches so far, coming against Olympiakos in a 3-1 win. Valverde may opt to rest some of his star names for the match, with the likes of Denis Suarez and Paco Alcacer looking to earn rare starts.
Sporting CP Team News & Form
Sporting boss Jesus has led his side to two Champions League wins so far this season, meaning they are still in with a chance of qualifying for the latter stages of the competition. Two goals from Das Bost gave Sporting a 3-1 win over Olympiakos last time around, with the Portuguese side having scored eight goals from their five matches to date. Portuguese internationals Gelson Martins, William Carvalho and Rui Patricio will line up for the visitors, while former Barca man Jeremy Mathieu may well face his old club.
Head to Head
The two teams have met three times in the past, with Barcelona having won on each occasion. Having won 1-0 in Portugal earlier this season, Barcelona added to their wins in the Champions League back in 2008.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Given their status as the home team and their performances in Group D so far, it comes as little surprise that it is Barcelona who are the favourites for victory with the majority of bookmakers. The hosts can be backed at odds of 3/10 with Skybet, while those looking to bet on an away win for Sporting CP can take advantage of 17/2 odds from the same bookmaker.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on Barcelona scoring over 2.5 goals during the 90 minutes, which is available at odds of 5/6 with Ladbrokes.