Chelsea and Barcelona meet Tuesday, Nov. 25 in Champions League play with both sides looking to recover from draws in their last UCL matches. Chelsea rested many of its top players against Azerbaijani side Qarabag and came away with a 2-2 draw, while Barcelona battled to a 3-3 result against Club Brugge. Both teams have accumulated seven points in Champions League play and Barcelona are only ahead of Chelsea on goal differential.
Kickoff from Stamford Bridge in London is set for 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The match will stream on Paramount+.
Chelsea are slight +120 favorites (wager $100 to win $120) in the latest Chelsea vs. Barcelona odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, while the visitors are +205 (wager $100 to win $205). A draw comes in at +285. For the latest Chelsea vs. Barcelona odds and model picks, head to SportsLine.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Last year, Green was profitable in multiple areas on his soccer betting picks, including Euro qualifying (+6.30 units), EFL Cup (+4.47), FA Cup (+3.07) and Champions League (+3.05), among others. Anyone who follows him could be way up.
Here are Green’s best bets and analysis for Chelsea vs. Barcelona on Tuesday.
Chelsea vs. Barcelona picks
- Chelsea draw no bet (-130): 1u
- Over 3.5 goals (+100): 0.5u
- Pedro Neto Over 1.5 shots on target (-107): 0.5u
Chelsea will aim to get their Champions League campaign back on track when they host Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. The Blues slipped down to 12th in the group stage table after drawing 2-2 with Qarabag last time out. Manager Enzo Maresca rested several key players for that game, and Chelsea ultimately paid the price. He certainly won’t make the same mistake against Barcelona. They’re one of the best teams in Europe, so Maresca should field his strongest starting XI. It promises to be an entertaining game as both teams struggle defensively, but they’re stacked with attacking talent.
Neto and Fernandez keep Chelsea ticking
Chelsea moved up to second in the Premier League table after securing a routine 2-0 away win against Burnley at the weekend. The Blues are on a three-game winning streak in the league, and they’re unbeaten in their last five matches. Star player Cole Palmer has been out injured for most of the season and he’ll miss this game after breaking his toe. Fortunately, his teammates have stepped up.
Winger Pedro Neto and midfielder Enzo Fernández both scored in the win against Burnley. They’re the club’s joint top scorers this season with four goals apiece. João Pedro also has four goals, while Moisés Caicedo has found the back of the net three times. Defenders Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James, Malo Gusto, and Josh Acheampong have all chipped in with vital goals, along with forwards Estêvão and Alejandro Garnacho. Liam Delap has now recovered from an injury, and former Barcelona striker Marc Guiu offers another solid option in attack. Chelsea boast a great deal of firepower, so they should be able to exploit Barcelona’s defensive weaknesses. Barça have conceded 15 goals in 13 La Liga games this season and they’ve also conceded seven times in four Champions League matches.
However, Chelsea are also vulnerable in defense. Levi Colwill is injured, so Maresca normally pairs Chalobah with Toisin Adarabioyo at center back. They never look entirely convincing. The Blues have conceded four goals in six Champions League matches, and they concede about a goal per game in the Premier League on average. It’s hard to see them keeping the likes of Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski at bay for 90 minutes, so this should be a high-scoring match.
Barcelona might be Europe’s most entertaining team
Barcelona also dropped points in their last Champions League game. They comprehensively outplayed Club Brugge in Belgium but defensive lapses cost them, and the game finished 3-3. They bounced back by beating Celta Vigo 4-2 in a league match, and they then thrashed Athletic Club 4-0 on Saturday. They’ve fired in 36 goals in 13 La Liga games this season, which is a remarkable record.
However, the defense has been their Achilles’ heel. They’ve only kept one clean sheet in their last 11 games, which is concerning. They play a high defensive line, and pacy wingers like Neto and Jamie Gittens could exploit it. Barcelona are arguably the most entertaining team in Europe. Their last six games have seen 30 goals – an average of five per game – and we’ve seen 4.8 goals per game in their last 20 Champions League matches. Key midfielder Pedri is likely to miss this game, so Marc Casado could partner Frenkie de Jong in the middle of the park. They’ll have their work cut out against Caicedo and Fernández, two of the best midfielders in the world. The team that wins the midfield battle should go on and win this game. It could be tight as these teams look evenly matched. They’re level on points in the Champions League group, they’re both flying in their domestic leagues and both have extremely talented players in most positions.
Ultimately, home field advantage could swing things in Chelsea’s favor. The Blues have won both Champions League matches at Stamford Bridge this season. They’ll face a much sterner test of their mettle against Barcelona but they could ultimately prevail if Caicedo and Fernández grab this game by the scruff of the neck.
