This weeks Free Football Betting Tip is:
Spain » Primera Division
Atl. Madrid – Barcelona, Sunday, 26 Feb 2012, 20:30
Recommended Bet = 50 points OVER 2.5 goals
Best odds 1.62 @ betfair or bet £10 risk free at Skybet
Atletico Madrid v Barcelona Match Report
Barcelona will face Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon stadium this Sunday night; a highly atmospheric venue that always produces an entertaining game of football whenever these two sides meet.
Atletico have had three 0-0 draws at home this season and have only scored twice in their previous four matches; which explains why the Bookmakers have offered such reasonable odds for the game ending in an over 2.5 goal result.
Traditionally, this fixture never fails to deliver on the goal –front, as the last six meetings between the clubs have seen 28 goals fly in, that’s a goal ratio of just under five per game, and crucially over 2.5 in every encounter.
Atletico tend to put on a more swashbuckling, attacking display when the Catalans come to town, in order to appease their success-starved supporters who expect open exciting football on a weekly basis.
We can see below that Atletico have been conceding early goals recently, whilst also scoring predominantly in the first half of matches – an encouraging sign when looking for over 2.5 goals in a game.
Time of 1st Goal (Last 20 Games) – A.Madrid
| Mins : | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | FT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For : | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Against : | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Any : | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Barca’s recent form (below) suggests there may be an early goal too. History has shown that a first half breakthrough in this fixture can lead to a hefty score-line.
Time of 1st Goal (Last 20 Games) – Barcelona
| Mins : | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | FT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For : | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Against : | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Any : | 7 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Atletico’s 14-goal (in 20 games) Colombian striker, Radamel Falcao, will provide the main goal threat for the hosts while Barca obviously possess the world’s greatest player in Lionel Messi, 27 goals in only 22 league appearances.
Messi is in sensational form, scoring four last Sunday against Valencia, he is now only one behind Ronaldo in the race for the coveted Pichichi trophy.
More importantly, Barcelona simply must win to stand any chance of catching league leaders Real Madrid, who hold a 10 point lead over their fierce rivals as we go into the final 15 games of the season.
If, as expected, Atletico go for the throat of Barcelona from the first whistle, then we should see a very open game full of chances and hopefully, goals.
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