BARCELONA will be out for UEFA Champions League revenge when Inter Milan come calling after two controversial VAR calls went against them at the San Siro.
With Bayern Munich racing clear at the top of Group C it looks like these sides are battling for second place so their double-header will be pivotal in deciding who reaches the last 16.
Inter Milan have the edge after last week's 1-0 victory, a result that disappointed our man Mark after he had tipped Barcelona. He wasn't the only one upset as Barca fans were raging after VAR chalked off a leveller from Pedri then failed to award them a last-gasp penalty for handball.
That was just Barcelona's second defeat this season, with both coming in the Champions League. Xavi's rebuild seems to be coming along nicely and they returned to the La Liga summit at the weekend with a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo.
Winning the domestic league will be their priority this season but fans will also be desperate to reach the knockout stages in Europe, with a victory here essential after that setback in Italy.
Inter Milan have been inconsistent this term, with seven wins and five defeats from their 12 games, but head to the Nou Camp in decent shape after following up that win over Barcelona with a 2-1 triumph at Sassuolo.
Beating this new-look Barca side on the road is a tall order but if they can grind out a draw then it will put Simone Izaghi's men in pole position for a place in the last 16.
How the bookies view it
I thought Barcelona would be odds-on favourites at home but didn't expect them to be so short, with their best price just 4/9 at Betfred. Inter Milan are a whopping 33/5 with VBet while the draw pays 4/1 at Bet365.
Head to head
That victory last week was Inter's first over Barcelona since Jose Mourinho masterminded a 3-1 victory at the San Siro in the Champions League semi-final back in 2010.
The Catalan giants have the edge in the head-to-head, winning eight of the 15 meetings and losing just three times. Barca won 2-1 when the San Siro side last came calling back in 2019.
Players to watch
Pedri scored Barcelona's winner at the weekend and would have got on the scoresheet in Milan too had VAR not intervened. The midfielder is 11/2 with Bet365 for a goal in this one which looks a bit overpriced.
Lautaro Martinez is due a goal for Inter Milan, having fired blanks for his club in their last eight games. The Argentinian is 10/3 with William Hill to end that drought at the Nou Camp.
Anything else catch the eye?
Barcelona have been keeping a lot of clean sheets in La Liga but have conceded in all three Champions League games so far, with even minnows Viktoria Plzen netting at the Nou Camp. That's why BTTS is a best 11/13 with SBK and you have to go to over 3.5 goals to reach 31/20 at Paddy Power.
Cards could offer the best value after seven were flashed in that stormy clash at the San Siro. Unibet price over 5.5 cards at 5/4 for the return and offer 16/5 on someone being sent off.
The same firm always have good stats bets and I'm drawn to the 13/10 they offer on Robert Lewandowki having over 2.5 shots on target.
This UEFA Champions League match between Barcelona and Inter Milan will be played on Oct 12, 2022 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Barcelona vs Inter Milan prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
