Royal Antwerp host Group H leaders Barcelona in their final round-robin game of the competition on Wednesday night.
Royal Antwerp vs Barcelona Betting Tips
- Matchbet and both teams to score - Barcelona and No @ 1.95 with Hollywoodbets
- Barcelona to win both halves @ 2.80 with Hollywoodbets
- First goalscorer - Ferran Torres @ 4.60 with Hollywoodbets
All odds are courtesy of Hollywoodbets, correct at the time of publishing and subject to change.
The hosts have the unwanted record of failing to register a single point in the competition and will want to exit the tournament on a high since there’s no possibility of Europa League qualification.
Barcelona know that they simply need to avoid defeat to qualify as the leaders of the group, even though Shakhtar would have to beat FC Porto by more than seven goals to pip the Blaugrana at the post.
Xavi will likely shuffle his pack, especially with some players at risk of getting suspensions for the next round with a yellow card.
Barcelona to continue hot European form
The Blaugrana won four of their five Champions League fixtures this term, including a 5-0 drubbing of the hosts on Matchday One.
The Catalan side have kept two clean sheets in the competition and seven in La Liga. Even though their number one stopper Marc ter Stegen will miss out through injury, the Spanish champions should see out this match by shutting out Antwerp.
The hosts have been poor in the final third, scoring three times in five matches. Even though their goal-scoring form in the Jupiler Pro League has been excellent, averaging two goals a game, the Champions League has been a level too steep for the tournament’s new boys.
- Royal Antwerp vs Barcelona Betting Tip 1: Match bet and both teams to score - Barcelona and No @ 1.95 with Hollywoodbets
The Blaugrana to dominate either side of the break
When these two met in Spain in mid-September, Xavi’s charges scored three times in the first half and twice in the second without reply.
The away team averages two goals per game in the competition while the hosts have the worst defence, conceding 15 in total.
Mark van Bommel’s men are a different beast in their domestic league, currently occupying fourth place and they’re coming off a win against Cercle Brugge 3-1 at the weekend.
However, the Great Old are at risk of becoming the first team in Champions League history to lose their opening three home matches and concede at least three goals each time.
With absentees, Bjorn Engels and Jelle Bataille at the back, they leave themselves open to Barca’s attack.
- Royal Antwerp vs Barcelona Betting Tip 2: Barcelona to win both halves @ 2.80 with Hollywoodbets
Torres to hit the back of the net first
It’s a long shot, but with Ronald Araujo and Joao Felix at risk of missing the first leg of the last 16 match with another yellow card, Torres is one of Xavi’s wildcard picks up front.
The Spanish international scored twice in this season’s competition, both of those being the first goal in the game - first against Shakhtar and then again at Porto.
- Royal Antwerp vs Barcelona Betting Tip 3: First goalscorer - Ferran Torres @ 4.60 with Hollywoodbets