2 weeks Ago By Betting Reporter
Barcelona are looking to continue their fine form when they head to Monaco this week. Find the latest match odds for Monaco vs Barcelona. All odds are provided by our best-reviewed football bookmakers .
Odds are subject to change. Barcelona fans had to be patient for their first taste of success in the European Cup. Their maiden triumph came in 1992, the final year before the switch to the Champions League.
By then the trophy had already been claimed six times by their arch-rivals Real Madrid, plus once each by the likes of Steaua Bucharest, Red Star Belgrade, PSV, Aston Villa, Hamburg and Feyenoord. In the Champions League era, though, only Madrid have achieved more glory. Barcelona have gone all the way on four occasions since the 1992 rebrand, emerging victorious in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015.
In recent years, though, the Catalan outfit have seldom troubled the latter stages of European club football’s premier event. You have to go back to 2018/19 to locate Barca’s last appearance in the semi-finals. It is not a fond memory for the club's supporters, who witnessed their side beat Liverpool 3-0 in the first leg before completely crumbling in a 4-0 defeat in the return fixture.
Barcelona then suffered back-to-back group stage eliminations in 2021/22 and 2022/23, before rebounding to reach the quarter-finals last time out. But after a fabulous start to the La Liga season, hopes are high that the club could be about to challenge in Europe again. Still, no one should get carried away just yet.
Part of the reason why Barcelona have got off to a perfect start in Spain is that expectations were relatively low at the start of the season. The pressure on Hansi Flick’s side to win a major prize this term could soon rise. Barcelona will face Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in the revamped league phase, which gets under way on Tuesday.
The old group stage has gone, replaced by 36 teams ranked in the same table. Barcelona are among the teams targeting a top-eight finish, which would secure their passage to the round of 16. The sides ranked between ninth and 24th will contest the knockout phase play-offs, with eight more spots in the last 16 up for grabs.
Monaco, you feel, will have their eyes on one of those play-off berths. Monaco will host Barcelona as the Champions League returns with a brand new format. Barcelona made it five victories from five in La Liga at the weekend, as they put Girona to the sword in a 4-1 win.
That result should not be underestimated: Girona beat Barcelona twice last term on their way to a third-place finish. Get the best free bet offers all season Claim Free Bets They will not necessarily triumph by such a wide margin on Thursday. Monaco have also opened the Ligue 1 campaign well, winning three and drawing one of their four outings to date.
Only Paris Saint-Germain have more points on the board in France’s top tier. Yet confidence is so high in the Barcelona camp that it is hard to see how Monaco will be able to stop them. The Champions League is a step up from La Liga, but Flick’s team are playing some wonderful football and they should get the job done on matchday one.
⚽ Back Barcelona to win at 11/14 with VBET ⚽ Monaco have the best defensive record in Ligue 1 after four games, having conceded just one goal so far. They kept another clean sheet at the weekend in a 3-0 triumph over Auxerre. That was the first time this season that a Monaco match has featured more than 2.
5 goals, and we anticipate another low-scoring encounter here. Barcelona turned on the style against Girona at the weekend, while they thrashed Real Valladolid 7-0 immediately prior to the September international break. But Flick will promote a more controlled display on Thursday in the knowledge that Barcelona may need to grind this one out.
Monaco have a good blend of physicality and technical quality, so they should succeed in making this a tight game. ⚽ Choose under 2.5 goals at 7/5 with VBET ⚽ Lamine Yamal was at it again on Sunday, notching a brace as Barcelona maintained their lead at the top of La Liga.
The Spain international is already one of the best forwards on the continent despite having only celebrated his 17th birthday in July. Yamal is a sensation and the only slight concern around him is the amount of minutes he has played at such a young age. Neutrals and Barcelona fans alike will hope that the teenager does not get burned out prematurely.
At the same time, it is difficult for Flick to leave such an incredible talent out of the XI. Indeed, there is little chance of that happening against Monaco. Whether he converts a chance or lays on a goal for a team-mate, Yamal looks set to be heavily involved at Stade Louis II.
⚽ Tip Lamine Yamal to score or assist at 6/5 with VBET ⚽ Greg Lea Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others. Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT.
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