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Real and Barca achieving the unthinkable accounts for monster double

| 28.04.2013

Judging by the massive defeats Barcelona and Real Madrid suffered in the first legs of their respective Champions League semi-finals, an all-German final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund appears to be in prospect at Wembley.

It seems though, that if any clubs are capable of overcoming 4-0 and 4-1 first-leg defeats in Europe’s elite competition, it is the great Spanish rivals.

And the pairing’s records in La Liga this term suggests massive profits could be made from backing the duo to achieve the unthinkable, and set up a first ever European Cup final between the two.

Betting on both teams to qualify by any means would reward punters at odds heftier than 76/1, and so the duo’s domestic achievements this term certainly warrant consideration.

To hold up the first leg of the double, Real would need to overcome Dortmund by at least three goals to ensure they progress to their first Champions League final since 2002.

They have achieved that feat on 11 seasonal occasions in the league, with the fact that eight of those instances occurred at Santiago Bernabeu a further positive to their chances.

Jose Mourinho’s men are 7/2 to qualify, and can expect a hefty scoring contribution from Cristiano Ronaldo, who leads the Champions League goal charts with 12 strikes in just 11 appearances this term.

Barca meanwhile, 16/1 to reach a fourth European Cup final in the past seven years, can call upon a Lionel Messi who looked to have returned to full fitness in his last domestic outing.

Following a display in which he appeared a shadow of his four-time Ballon d’Or-winning self away to Bayern, Messi was introduced from the bench to catalyse the Catalans’ claiming of a point away to Athletic Bilbao.

He both notched and claimed an assist in the 2-2 draw, and will be key to Barca’s chances of overturning a 4-0 aggregate deficit opposite their German counterparts, given his eight Champions League goals throughout the campaign.

Tito Vilanova’s men, who need a minimum four-goal haul to have a chance of even forcing extra-time, have registered four or more times in 12 separate La Liga outings this term.

And with five of the seven games that they have struck five or more times in coming at the Nou Camp, Barca certainly can’t be fully written off to do their bit in setting up an El Clasico Champions League final.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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Author

John Klee