S.P. Read Esq: Man City v Barcelona

Our daily columnist and pundit S.P. Read Esq. looks ahead to Tuesday’s Champions League game between MAN CITY v BARCELONA and finds the best opportunities available on Star Spreads, the home of sports spread betting.

Barcelona brushed Man City aside 4-0 in the reverse fixture and thankfully, from City’s perspective, we haven’t yet reached the knockout phase.

It’s all about progression at this stage and the Monchengladbach v Celtic game could have more Group C significance for City than what they do themselves in front of their home supporters.

The potent strike force of Messi, Suárez and Neymar is confirmed for Barcelona despite this being a match they don’t need to win. Barcelona are not having a great season by their own exceptional standards and looked only perfunctory in their win over Granada at the weekend to move into second, behind Real Madrid, in the La Liga table.

Man City manager Pep Guardiola is acutely aware of the challenge ahead. He said: “We have to be focused for 90 minutes, knowing they are going to provoke mistakes because of the quality they have.

“But we had a few chances [in the first game] and have to keep going in that sense and try to finish better than we did in Barcelona.

“We will try. I have never entered a match thinking we can’t win but we have to play almost perfectly.”

Man City v Barcelona
UEFA Champions League Group Stage
19:45 BT Sport 2 / BT Sport 2 HD / BT Sport 4K UHD

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD
(Maximum 10 matches)
Oct 2016 EUROPEAN CUP Barcelona 4-0 Man City
Mar 2015 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Barcelona 1-0 Man City
Feb 2015 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Man City 1-2 Barcelona
Mar 2014 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Barcelona 2-1 Man City
Feb 2014 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Man City 0-2 Barcelona

STARTING XI

Man City

13 Caballero
5 Zabaleta
30 Otamendi
24 Stones
11 Kolarov
25 Fernandinho
7 Sterling
17 De Bruyne
8 Gündogan
21 Silva
10 Agüero

Barcelona

1 ter Stegen
20 Sergi
14 Mascherano
23 Umtiti
19 Digne
4 Rakitic
5 Busquets
21 André Gomes
10 Messi
9 Suárez
11 Neymar

It’s a tough call for punters given the dynamics of the competition but a must-watch encounter. Star Spreads set a teaser with their spread on the time of the first Barcelona goal at 45-48. They can be slow to get going and I’m a buyer at that price. So a nervous first half ahead and then hopefully I can relax.

CLICK FOR MAN CITY v BARCELONA MARKETS ON STAR SPREADS

RECOMMENDED BETS (scale 1-100 points)

BUY TIME OF FIRST BARCELONA GOAL 25 points at 48 with Star Spreads

PROFIT/LOSS SINCE EURO 2016: PROFIT 1884.55 points

• Any spread prices quoted are indicative and as always prices are subject to fluctuation.
• Please note the opinion, views and forecasts above are of the author and not of Star Spreads.