Barstool's Guide to Champions League Semi #1

Sam's Army5/12/2015 5:22 PM

Sam’s Guide to Champions League Semi #1

Second leg of the first of two Champions League semi-finals coming in hot.

Bayern versus Barcelona this afternoon, Real Madrid versus Juventus tomorrow afternoon… so get those TPS reports filed early because there is lots of sexy soccer for your eyeballs to feast upon over the next 48 hours.

No need for more of an introduction. If you need to be sold about watching Barcelona square off against Bayern Munich then I just feel sorry for you.

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Both home teams prevailed last week, with the scores finishing:

This week’s schedule looks like this:

Will the roles reverse right alongside the scenery with home sides again winning? Even if they do, will it be enough to push them through to the final? Let’s take a peek under the hood starting with…

PICK OF THE DAY

Bayern Munich (+165)
Barcelona (+145)
Draw (+275)

What a difference a location makes, apparently, as the odds last week were (+430) for Bayern and for (-160) for Barça. Why so different?

It is not because of any major line-up changes, as players like Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are still sidelined, meaning the only tweaks that seem likely are the insertion of Mario Gotze into the starting XI and finding somebody to replace Jerome Boateng, who was murdered

Instead, bookies change of heart likely has more to do with two things (aside from the obvious lift of playing in front of thousands of adoring fans): experience and motivation. Bayern has had its back up against the wall in second legs twice before in this competition this season alone, as it followed up a goalless draw against Shakhtar with a 7-0 ass-whupping and a 3-1 loss to Porto with a 6-1 skull-pounding – with both return legs being played at the Allianz Arena.

“So you’re saying there’s a chance?”

Of Bayern eking out a win? Yes. Of advancing to the final? Absolutely not.

Barça is so godamn good that it boggles the mind. How a club with Neymar, Luis Suarez and Messi running up top has lost a single game this season almost beggars belief (let alone the fact Barça has lost more games this season than Chelsea – huh? — never mind those umpteen draws for the boring, boring Blues).

One thing is certain: do not miss the first half of this game because Bayern has no choice but to come out running and gunning, so win or lose there should be a hell of a lot of excitement. Unfortunately Barca is simply too good, and Bayern’s need to push is going to come back to haunt them. I’m going with the Catalans in a goal-fest: Barca to win 3-2.