Two European giants meet in the new rearranged Champions League league phase as Bayern Munich travel to Spain for a matchup against Barcelona.
Bayern were stunned by Aston Villa in their last road UCL match, unable to find a way past Emi Martinez in a 1-0 defeat. It left the German giants needing to make up ground in the hunt for a free pass to the Round of 16 via a top eight finish.
Barcelona have also dropped one of their two Champions League games so far, falling 2-1 at AS Monaco in their opener after Eric Garcia was sent off 10 minutes in.
While neither side is in dire condition at this point, as the new format gives big clubs more wiggle room for adverse results, it will still put a significant weight on this match even as they meet in the first half of league phase play.
MORE: A complete guide to betting on soccer in the United States
Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Bayern Munich (+175)
- Score prediction: Barcelona 1-2 Bayern Munich
Both of these teams have shown weaknesses thus far in Champions League play, but they are both still very good teams. Getting plus odds on either of these sides in a vacuum carries value, but for Bayern, nearly 2/1 odds is significant.
Bayern have had Barcelona's number over their previous few meetings, winning six straight matchups by a shocking 22-4 combined scoreline (that includes the infamous 8-2 win in the 2019/20 Champions League). Backing Bayern to find a way past Inaki Pena, who has been hit or miss since coming in for the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen, is a strong play.
Fascinatingly, the betting market began favoring the home side, as often happens in these matchups of evenly-matched European giants, but the odds have swung in the direction of Bayern Munich in the run-up to the match, with the German visitors given the edge just before kickoff.
| BetMGM (USA) | |
| Barcelona win | +165 |
| Draw | +275 |
| Bayern win | +140 |
| Both teams to score | Y: -300 N: +210 |
| Over / Under 3.5 goals | O: -120 U: -115 |
| Bayern -0.5 goals | +130 |
| Barcelona +0.5 goals | -190 |
Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich match facts
- Date: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024
- Kickoff Time: 9 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT)
- Location: Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium (Barcelona, Spain)
- Referee: Slavko Vincic (SLV)
- Last meeting: Barcelona 0-3 Bayern Munich (Oct. 26, 2022 | Champions League)
Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich best bet
- Pick: Under 3.5 total goals
- Odds: -120 (BetMGM)
While these two teams have eaten domestic competition for breakfast this season with overwhelming all-out attacks, they are completely different teams in European play against quality opposition.
Barcelona sit atop the La Liga table having scored 33 goals in 10 games, while Bayern Munich are also top of the Bundesliga with 24 goals in seven domestic matches. And yes, Bayern smashed Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 while Barcelona bopped Young Boys 5-0, but we're talking about quality opposition.
When faced with even a little adversity, Bayern were shut out by Aston Villa while Barcelona were held 2-1 at Monaco while playing a man down. These two sides have played four straight games under 3.5 goals (in fact, one side was shut out in all four!) since the famous 8-2 Bayern win in 2020. Goals will be hard to come by here, and there shouldn't be any kind of attacking nonsense in Catalonia.
Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich prop bet
- Pick: Bayern Munich 6+ shots on target
- Odds: +120 (FanDuel)
- Pick: Barcelona 6+ shots on target
- Odds: +105 (FanDuel)
While the shot and goal props are mostly juiced for a match with two high-scoring offenses facing off, this is a potential opening. Both teams are at plus odds here, meaning just one has to hit for a marginal profit.
It's difficult to find which of the many talented players will find joy, as Dani Olmo, Jamal Musiala, Michael Olise, and Harry Kane could all have a good chance of being their team's go-to player, so backing one and potentially both goalkeepers to have work to do is more than reasonable.
Bayern have reached this admittedly high threshold in three of the last four meetings between the sides, including both matchups in Spain. One of them should test the opposing goalkeeper well today.
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