Can Barca wrap up the group win?
The mood at FC Barcelona remains subdued after their recent 4-2 home defeat to La Liga surprise team Girona. The Blaugrana already lost the Clásico in front of their home crowd (1:2), which means they are currently only in fourth place in La Liga, seven points behind first place. The Catalans will now travel to Belgium with a lot of anger in their stomachs, which will certainly influence the betting tip for Antwerp against Barcelona
The Blaugrana swept debutants Royal Antwerp off the pitch 5-0 in the first leg. The Belgian hosts, meanwhile, have already been eliminated after five defeats in their first five group games, but naturally want to leave with their heads held high. Not since Romanian club Otelul Galati (2011) has a club lost its first six games in this competition. However, there is not much to suggest that Antwerp’s prediction of the Belgians picking up a point against Barcelona will work out
In fact, Royal Antwerp have not only lost their two home games against Donetsk (2:3) and Porto (1:4), but in both cases conceded at least three goals at home in the Bosuil Stadium. The second leg could also be correspondingly high-scoring. We are therefore betting that FC Barcelona will secure the three points, while a total of over 2.5 goals will be scored
Antwerp – statistics & current form
The Royal Antwerp Football Club has a glittering history and, for example, reached the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in the 1992/93 season, losing 3-1 to Parma. In the recent past, however, things have been very quiet around Flanders.
The traditional club has only been back in Belgium’s top division for seven years, where they won their fifth national title in the summer of 2023 – their first championship since 1957. The Reds have now also qualified for the Champions League for the first time
Will Antwerp be eliminated with six defeats?
Now Mark van Bommel’s team, who have gone 14 Champions League games without a win as coach (four draws, ten defeats), are in danger of becoming only the sixth club ever to lose all of their first six games in the top flight. The last time Romanian debutants Otelul Galati lost their first six group games was in 2011.
However, it should be noted that Flanders are well on the way to following in their footsteps. After five defeats in their first five games, there is little to suggest that the Reds will win their first point in the clash between Antwerp and Barcelona of all teams
Lost both Champions League home games while conceding at least three goals
The reigning champions are also not doing outstandingly well at national level at the moment. After 17 league games, Royal Antwerp are only in fourth place and are already eleven points behind Union Saint-Gilloise. But at least the dress rehearsals have been successful for Flanders.
Last week, van Bommel’s side first knocked Charleroi out of the cup with a 5:2 victory, before recording a 3:1 away win at Cercle Brugge in the league on Saturday. In the Champions League, however, Flanders have lost their two home games so far against Donetsk (2:3) and Porto (1:4), conceding at least three goals in each.
Predicted Antwerp line-up:
Barcelona – Statistics & current form
It is well known that those responsible at FC Barcelona have taken enormous financial risks in the recent past in order to bring success back to Catalonia. They did manage to win the national championship this summer. However, the Blaugrana missed out on reaching the Champions League round of 16 twice in a row.
The Catalans have been spared the inglorious first-round hat-trick this year, as Barca can only be pushed into second place by Shakhtar Donetsk in a highly theoretical scenario and would then progress as group runners-up. However, the club is now back in trouble in La Liga
Disappointing dress rehearsal against Girona
After losing 2-1 at home to Real Madrid, the Catalans, who are actually so strong at home, were also beaten 4-2 by surprise team Girona in their dress rehearsal at home on Sunday.
This leaves the fourth-placed team in La Liga seven points off first place. The mood is correspondingly subdued, especially as coach Xavi, who is already under criticism, publicly criticized his team’s defensive behaviour after the defeat against Girona, but at the same time caused astonishment among sports director Deco with statements that Barca had not played a bad game.
Lost four of the six Champions League away games under Xavi
A landmark week lies ahead for Barca and Xavi. The first step is to secure top spot in the group with a convincing win. The odds are clearly in the Blaugrana’s favor in Antwerp v Barcelona. And the second step is to record an important away win in Valencia in La Liga next Saturday.
The problem is that Barca have not been compelling enough under Xavi, especially away from home. In La Liga, only 13 out of a possible 21 points were scored away from home. In the Champions League, they even lost four of their six away games under the 43-year-old. That equates to the number of away defeats from the Catalans’ previous 21 visits to the top flight (ten wins, eight draws)…
Predicted Barcelona line-up:
Antwerp – Barcelona Direct comparison / H2H balance
Head to head: 1 – 0 – 2
Three competitive matches have been played between the two teams so far, and FC Barcelona clearly lead the head-to-head after winning the first leg 5-0 on September 19, 2023. However, Antwerp won the only previous meeting in Belgium 2:1, although this clash dates back to the 1965/66 Fairs Cities Cup and is therefore of little significance.
Antwerp – Barcelona betting tip
The betting odds for Antwerp v Barcelona are clearly in favor of the visitors from Catalonia, who have lost four of their six Champions League away games so far under Xavi, but will now be facing a tough underdog that has had to learn the hard way. In the first leg, the Blaugrana did not give the Reds the slightest chance in their 5-0 home win. With absolutely nothing at stake for the Belgians, the final result could be similarly one-sided
In addition, Barca have been anything but good defensively of late, while Flanders have also conceded seven goals in two games in the top flight. All in all, the prediction of a high-scoring game between Antwerp and Barcelona, in which the Blaugrana prevail in the end, is associated with the greatest value
