Barcelona scored more goals than anyone in the Champions League group phase and are back in action in the last 16.
Benfica vs Barcelona odds | Odds |
|---|---|
Over 2.5 goals | |
Over 3.5 goals | |
Over 4.5 goals |
Odds courtesy of 1xBet. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Barcelona Have Been Premier Entertainers
Among the top eight scorers in this season’s Champions League main draw, Barcelona have played two fewer games than the other seven. Despite that, they have still scored more goals than any other club in the league phase and knockouts so far.
Their 28 goals scored put them two ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who have played ten games. The closest team to have only played eight games are Atletico Madrid, with just 20 goals so far.
Goals haven’t only been flying at one end, as Barca tend to concede a lot. Among the top 16 finishers in the league phase, no side conceded more than Barcelona’s 13 goals. That explains why their games are priced so low to see goals.
Barcelona’s clinical finishing has arguably been their most impressive trait, as they haven’t necessarily created a lot of chances. The Catalan club only rank 14th for goal attempts in the Champions League so far. They have actually had 90 fewer shots than Bayern Munich, who are top of that table with 10 games played to Barca’s eight.
Hansi Flick’s side have also outperformed their xG in this season’s competition. Their xG is 20.8, yet they have scored 28 goals, which proves just how clinical they are.
There’s also lots of evidence for this elsewhere. Barca have created 34 big chances so far in the tournament, the sixth-most so far. They have missed 14 of those, which ranks them 17th and means they tend to take big chances more efficiently than other sides in the competition.
That clinical nature has certainly played a major role in making Barcelona’s games so entertaining. Although they usually score the majority of goals, their Champions League games this term have averaged over five goals per game, meaning they concede a fair few as well.
Is There Any Value in Backing Goals in Barca Games?
In short, there is still value in the goal market in Barcelona’s Champions League games. The highest-scoring game they were involved in in the league phase was a 5-4 away win against Benfica on Matchday 8. Their first knockout match? An away game against Benfica.
A repeat of that nine-goal thriller is obviously incredibly unlikely, but goals have been a constant for Barcelona. Their last 11 games in the Champions League have all witnessed over 2.5 goals.
Priced at 1.40, there is little value in over 2.5 goals for their first-leg game with Benfica, but there are better opportunities in other markets. Barca have scored over 2.5 goals in four of their last five Champions League away games. They are priced at 2.70 to score 3+ goals here by 1xBet.
When you couple that with the fact Barca conceded at least twice in all five of those away games, there is great value in the goal market. If you think they will concede 2+ goals in this match, 1xBet has them priced at 2.10 to do so. Their weekend opponents Real Sociedad were priced at 5.50 by 1xBet to score at least twice. That shows bookmakers expect Barcelona to be more vulnerable in this competition.
Backing over 4.5 goals at 3.20 certainly isn’t out of the question, and over 3.5 at around evens seems like a great chance to double your money. That is particularly true given over 3.5 goals have landed in nine of Barcelona’s last 11 Champions League games. They were involved in a 4-4 draw with Atletico Madrid recently, so their bigger games do tend to produce plenty of goals.