Sports Blog 16/03/2016: Match Preview – UEFA Champions League Last 16 2nd Legs, Wednesday 16th March 2016

It time to find out the final 2 sides in the Champions League quarter-finals, with a near-insurmountable challenge for Arsenal and tricky fixture between the German and Italian champions.

Travelling to the Nou Camp with a 2 (away) goal deficit to overcome, Arsenal are in the worst possible position when they face Barcelona at 7.45pm on BT Sport Europe. This would be an imposing task for a team in good form; for an Arsenal side with 1 win in their last 6 games, including that 1st leg fail against the Catalan colossus, a title-race numbing run in the league (with losses to Man United and Swansea, and a draw against Spurs), and, most recently, an FA Cup exit at the hands of Watford, it may be impossible. A goal for Danny Welbeck at the weekend was a minor highlight in an otherwise bleak afternoon, and the English forward goes into Wednesday at a Super Mega PGM of 11-15; Olivier Giroud, meanwhile, is still the Gunners’ top scorer despite a less than fruitful run of form, and heads to Spain at a Super Mega PGM of 16-20.



Whilst Arsenal have been flailing Barcelona have been, well, Barcelona. They are now unbeaten since the 3rd October, and have dropped only 2 points in La Liga since the New Year began, a 2nd January draw against Espanyol followed by 12 consecutive wins, leaving them top of the table by 8 points. Barca also have a Copa del Rey final against Sevilla to look forward to at the end of May, chasing the treble for a 2nd season in a row. Of course one can’t talk about the current (and likely future) Spanish champions without mentioning their terrible trio; Luis Suarez leads the charge, his 42 goals leaving him with a Super Mega PGM of 63-73; Neymar, meanwhile, has 25 goals and a spread of 47-55, whilst the majestic Messi, with 36 goals, has a whopping Super Mega PGM of 93-108.

Since 2016 began Barcelona have scored 40 goals at the Nou Camp; it is unsurprising, then, that our Spreadex traders fancy a fairly heavy home win, offering a Barcelona/Arsenal Goal Supremacy spread of 2-2.2, with a Total Goals spread of 3.55-3.75.

Wednesday’s other game completes a trifecta of European champions, as Juventus travel to Bayern Munich at 7.45pm on BT Sport 2. Top of Serie A by 3 points Juventus are unbeaten in the league since the end of October, winning 18 and drawing only once; yet in their last real test on the road they faltered, dropping a 3-0 lead from the home leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final against the blue half of Milan, Inter winning 3-0 at the San Siro to force the fixture to penalties, which Juve subsequently lost. Juve managed a vital recovery in the 1st leg of this fixture, drawing level after Bayern had taken a 2-0 lead. However, the absence of Dybala, who is Juve’s top scorer with 18 goals, is a major loss, leaving Mario Mandzukic (with 9 goals but also a potential absentee) and Alvaro Morata (with 8 goals) to pick up the slack going forwards, both strikers at a Super Mega PGM of 10-14.



Whilst Bayern will be frustrated that they gave up their lead when the tie looked sown up, 2 away goals leaves them with little to do at the Allianz Arena this Wednesday. With a comfortable 5 point gap at the top of the Bundesliga dropped points against Mainz and Borussia Dortmund since March began haven’t made much difference to Bayern’s title-push, Pep Guardiola’s side bouncing back from that minor blip with a hefty 5-0 win over Werder Bremen. With 34 and 27 goals respectively, Robert Lewandowski (at a Super Mega PGM of 49-57) and Thomas Muller (at 30-36) are the main threats to Juve’s backline, the latter scoring the opener in Turin.

Even more ominously for the Italians their German counterparts have scored 14 goals in their 3 home games in Europe this season, leading Spreadex to offer a Bayern Munich/Juventus Goal Supremacy spread of 1.2-1.4 with a Total Goals spread of 2.5-2.7.

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