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Barcelona v Manchester United odds for the Champions League 2011 betting fanatics May 28 had Barcelona the even-odds favorite at most online sportsbooks. Unibet did have this one set at 13/12 and was one of the few online books paying better than even odds. Stay far away from Coral, at least early on. They were requiring an €11 bet to win €10.
ToteSport.com had the best odds on Manchester United at 3/1. Those living outside the US can check take advantage of the special being offered by ToteSport.com by clicking on the banner below.
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For those of you betting the underdog, Manchester United has a legitimate shot at winning against Barcelona.
The first way for Man United to win, according to the BBC:
Barcelona hardly ever pass the ball more than 10 yards to a team-mate. The great Johan Cruyff, who won 11 trophies in an illustrious career as Barcelona manager, told me something very interesting during a visit to FC Twente when I was manager there.
He said: "Do you know how Barcelona win the ball back so quickly? It's because they don't have to run back more than 10 metres as they never pass the ball more than 10 metres." They are always so close to the ball.
To counteract this, Manchester United need to play at a high tempo, to beat the press and get at the Barca back four.
The second way for Man United to win:
The other way United can beat Barcelona is on the transition [the break], something they do very well with the dual threat of Hernandez and Rooney.
Barcelona's defence are vulnerable to a fast counter-attack - Arsenal nearly scored a vital goal with 10 men at the Nou Camp with a Nicklas Bendtner chance on the transition.
United must follow Arsenal's example and play a high defensive line, keep compact, deny space and attempt to hit Barcelona on the quick transition, that five or six seconds from one end to the other.
The Barcelona v Manchester United odds posted above will be updated accordingly.
- Alistair Prescott, Gambling911.com
