Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona
Matchday 1 of the new UEFA Champions League season will feature some terrific matchups such as PSG-Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid-Juventus.
But Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona has the potential to be the best matchup of them all still doesn’t play. The two sides possess a wealth of attacking options which should make for one highly entertaining encounter.
Despite the likely absence of Lionel Messi, the Champions League 2019 betting odds still have Barcelona as slight favourites. But the Signal Iduna Park is one of the most intimidating places to visit in all of Europe and Dortmund will be ready to show the Spanish champions why.
Talking Points
Dortmund’s dangerous attack
After their shock 3-1 defeat to Union Berlin before the international break, Borussia Dortmund bounced back in a big way with a 4-0 thumping of Bayer Leverkusen.
Marco Reus starred with two goals, while Paco Alcacer continued his torrid early-season form as he scored the opener.
Alcacer is currently one of the most in-form strikers in all of Europe. The Spanish marksman has scored in nine consecutive matches for club and country dating back to the preseason and has five Bundesliga goals to his name.
The former Barcelona man will want nothing more than to extend his amazing streak by scoring against his old club.
Meanwhile, Reus and Sancho have also been playing at a consistently high level to start the season. Sancho logged another assist in the Leverkusen win, giving him a league-leading four assists through four games to go along with two goals.
Those three should fancy their chances of putting some goals past a Barcelona defence which has shipped at least two goals in its last three games.
Dortmund have been close to unstoppable offensively at home. With their win at Leverkusen, they have extended their streak of scoring at least two goals in their last 19 home games (16 wins, two draws, one loss).
Still no Messi, but Suarez back
Barcelona are yet to get talisman Lionel Messi back in the lineup after he suffered a calf injury just before the start of the season. And according to the latest Champions League 2019 updates, it doesn’t appear as if Messi still will be ready to make his return against Dortmund.
However, they did get Luis Suarez back for their weekend match against Valencia. The Uruguayan marked his return from an injury layoff with two late goals in Barca’s big 5-2 win.
But before Suarez could come in, 16-year-old Ansu Fati stole the show as he scored for the second game running — and he did it within two minutes. He also grabbed an assist to become the youngest player to record a goal and an assist in a La Liga match in the 21st century.
Even without Messi, it’s scary to think how much attacking talent Barcelona possess, with Griezmann, Fati, Suarez, and even Frenkie de Jong, who was excellent against Valencia.
Barcelona have already scored five goals twice in their first four La Liga matches. However, they have yet to win away from home and will now play in one of the most intimidating arenas in all of European football.
History
Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund have met just twice all-time in European competition. Both came in the two-legged 1997 UEFA Super Cup. Barcelona won the first leg 2-0 at the Camp Nou and the drew the second leg at Dortmund to win the tie 3-1 on aggregate.
Barcelona have crashed out of the Champions League in devastating fashion in the past two seasons, but they have still been outstanding during the group stage. They come into the match riding a 14-match unbeaten run during the Champions League group stage (10 wins, four draws).
Betting Tip
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Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona | Borussia Dortmund Asian Handicap +0.25 @ 1.92 |
| September 18, 03:00 (GMT+8) |
SBOBET odds have Dortmund priced at 2.91 at home on the 1X2 market, while Barcelona are at 2.35 despite the increasing likelihood that Messi won’t be available.
Taking Dortmund +0.25 at 1.93 on the Asian Handicap market seems like the smart play for this match, though. As their terrific home record over the past year bears out, they will be very tough to beat at Signal Iduna Park. Even keeping them to under two goals will be quite a task for Barca’s defence.
There’s a decent chance Dortmund can come away with a win against a Barca side that hasn’t looked convincing away from home without Messi. And even a draw would still yield half of the winnings, so you’re still coming out ahead.
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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