Barcelona V VFB Stuttgart: Champions League Betting

Barcelona V VFB Stuttgart

Wednesday, 17^th March – 19:45 GMT

TV Coverage: ITV1

First Leg: VFB Stuttgart 1-1 Barcelona

Barcelona, the defending champions of course, went into the first leg as overwhelming favourites to win this two legged affair with VFB Stuttgart – Champions League minnows in many respects. However, if Barca were dominant in the betting market beforehand they certainly weren’t on the pitch as Stuttgart raced out of the starting gates at the Mercedes-Benz Arena and immediately put their more glamorous Spanish opponents under the cosh right from the off, with the Germans roaming forward at ease for the entire length of the first period. Barca were actually being overrun at the back, and rocking, something other European managers will have noted and Stuttgart’s attacking persistence was rewarded when Cacau headed home at the back post to send the Germans into a surprising, yet fully deserving, first leg lead midway through the first half. Stuttgart continued to ask questions of the Barcelona defence, with Carlos Puyol especially woeful and easy to pass down the right, while their defence on the whole was a shambles until the half-time whistle saved their bacon.

The Catalan side were fortunate to go into the break just one goal down and, in a predictable fashion, Barcelona made their German opponents pay for several first half misses when Zlatan Ibrahimovic stuck home his first ever goal in the knock-out stage of the Champions League to level the tie. The Swede’s strike, just seven minutes after the break, revitalised the Barcelona ranks as the Spanish side were the dominant force thereafter, storming past the Stuttgart rearguard just as easy as the Germans were in the first period. Barcelona could have sneaked in front when Ibrahimovic had a shot blocked on the line by what appeared to be the arm of a Stuttgart defender, but that was the last meaningful action of the game as Barcelona passed their way to the final whistle, with the suggestion being the Spanish side are supremely confident of finishing the job back in Spain.

Who will qualify?

It won’t surprise anyone to see Barcelona as strong favourites to qualify for the next round, with every single bookmaker safely assuming that this tie is effectively over before this deciding second leg has even began. The best price you will get on Barcelona going through is currently 1.10 with SkyBet, effectively 1/10 in fractions, while the unlikelihood of Stuttgart shocking the football world with qualification is shown in their odds of 8.00 with WilliamHill, although we would probably rate them a lesser chance than that in fairness.

It’s hard to look past Barcelona for the quarter-finals as they have everything going in their favour. They have the quality to dismantle Stuttgart, with Messi a wizard when playing in front of an entertained Nou Camp crowd, while the combination of having home advantage and an away goal makes the Catalan side alarmingly strong favourites to progress into the next round. We wouldn’t dare oppose the Spanish giants as it would take a miracle of some proportion to see Stuttgart though this tie with some pride still in tact, let alone qualify for the quarter-finals, but still wouldn’t touch them at the current available odds.

Barcelona

Outright Odds: 11/4 totesport

Barcelona are overwhelmingly strong favourites to progress as Stuttgart’s expense but will they justify their ridiculously short price tag of around 1.10 with a comfortable victory at the Nou Camp, or Camp Nou as the locals call it, on Wednesday night in front of the ITV1 cameras?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whom scored Barcelona’s equaliser in Germany, could be the man to watch on the night as he should be fresher than most after being handed the weekend off, or should we say being forced to miss the weekend with a one-match suspension. However, that misdemeanour should work in the Swede’s favour as he should be that touch sharper than everyone else on the pitch and could prove the difference for Barcelona in attack, although that sounds a silly remark when the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Iniesta will assist Ibrahimovic in dismantling the Stuttgart defence whilst derailing their quarter-final push in the process. 

This should be a run-of-the-mill victory for Barcelona as their squad is miles above that of their German adversary’s. However, even so, a professional and respectful performance is needed on a night where Barcelona could stamp their mark on the competition with an emphatic win against a side who must come out of the shell in a bid to score goals. Lionel Messi in particular could be another of Stuttgart’s potential tormentor’s and it was he who single handily took Barcelona back to the top of La Liga with a second half hat-trick against Valencia at the weekend, albeit with the Catalan side ending the weekend in second place. However, that win was huge, as not only was it against an old foe in Valencia but it took their winning run at the Nou Camp to five games, whilst the team led by Pepe Guardiola have yet to taste defeat on their patch this season.

Barcelona will try to avoid being the second Spanish side knocked out at this stage after Real Madrid were sent packing last week. That doesn’t look likely though as Barcelona are so formidable at home it’s unreal. Back in La Liga, the likes of Messi Ibrahimovic, Henry, Xavi, Iniesta and Pedro have run riot in front of goal, scoring 37 goals in just 13 home fixtures. However, despite scoring a decent tally of five at home in this competition thus far, they did suffer the shock of the tournament when losing 2-1 to Rubin Kazan, so that result will provide Stuttgart with proof that Barcelona aren’t quite unbeatable in Spain.

VFB Stuttgart

Outright Odds: 200/1 SportingBet

Stuttgart are left trailing in the tie after the 1-1 draw back home, although they had their chances in the first leg to take a crucial first leg lead over to Spain with them but fluffed their lines. The German side now trail by the away goal scored by Zlatan Ibrahimovic but will feel safe in the knowledge that they haven’t lost on the road in the Champions League this season, while a high scoring draw at the Nou Camp would send them through so perhaps Stuttgart are still alive in this tie.

They do, though, face an uphill struggle to make the quarter’s as by the same token only a one Rubin Kazan from Russia have beaten Barcelona at the Nou Camp all season, with even some of Spain’s greatest; Real Madrid and Valencia, both succumbing to defeats at the den of the Catalan’s. That just about puts it into perspective for Stuttgart; an almost impossible challenge but one that is achievable, with Rubin Kazan being the proof of such a theory.

Preparations ahead of their trip to Barcelona didn’t exactly go to plan though, losing at FC Schalke over the weekend 2-1. It was, however, just their first away defeat in six back in the German Bundesliga, while they’ve not tasted defeat outside of Germany in the competition thus far, even avoiding defeat in Sevilla nearly five months ago. 1-1 draws with Sevilla and Unirea Urziceni accompanied by a 2-0 success at Rangers give Stuttgart a confidence boosting away record to cling onto, at least for the time being.

Stuttgart are enduring a difficult season in the Bundesliga, with the club situated in ninth position in the table. Their form of late has been impressive mind with Christian Gross, the former manager of an FC Base team which went to Camp Nou and earned a draw last season, guiding Stuttgart to two defeats in twelve Bundesliga games. However, most of those fixtures, especially the away encounters, were against some of the leagues poorest teams, so while their form looks more than reasonable on paper, it’s actually misleading in comparison to the task just over the horizon in Spain.

VFB Stuttgart have, however, managed at least one goal in their three away outings so far, so at least there’s a glimmer of light the Germans can cling onto as they make the daunting trip across Europa and down to Spain were the current tournament holders await them.

Match Verdict: Barcelona to WIN -1.29 Boylesports

Like most, we would love to predict a shock but that just doesn’t look likely of happening. After a sluggish start on Sunday against a slightly understrength Valencia side, Barcelona really did get into their stride with Lionel Messi warming up for this second leg encounter with a three goal haul. However, if that were just where Barcelona’s talents end then Stuttgart would have half-a-chance, but that’s the case and we feel Barca’s sheer dominance in quality will get them through this German tester in comprehensive fashion, while the reigning champions often produce a big win along the way to an impressive run in the competition, and so Stuttgart could the unfortunate side to take the brunt of their attacking wrath.

Match Odds:

Barcelona – 1.29 Boylesports

Draw – 6.00 VCbet

VFB Stuttgart – 13.00 Bet365