Diego Simeone prepared for Barcelona's match against Atletico Madrid without 14 regular players who were off on international duty. Many of those men didn't end up playing in that fixture over the weekend, one which was won by the Catalans anyway 2-1 on the road in Madrid.
However, the benefit of not using so many players of quality against Atletico is that he can bring a full side with him to Italy to take on AS Roma in the Champions League opener on Wednesday.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Not surprisingly, even though this match is on the road, Barca is the easy favorite. The team is favored by a goal on the Asian handicap and at -157 on the three-way line.
The total feels somewhat low for a Barcelona match at 2.5 with the vig on the over coming in at -120.
KEY INJURIES
Lionel Messi was actually used as a substitute over the weekend against Atletico Madrid after returning to the club late following the birth of his son. That said, Messi was in fantastic form in the 20 or so minutes he was on the pitch, and he was arguably the lone reason why Barcelona walked away with three points.
Roma won't be so fortunate. A calf strain will keep Miralem Pjanic on the bench for this one after he was injured on international duty playing for Bosnia-Herzegovina. Pjanic is one of Roma's five goal scorers on the season, and he has arguably been the best midfielder the team has had in 2015 thus far.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Barcelona are a fearsome machine. Everybody is convinced that they will get 18 points, so that implies getting six off us, but sometimes miracles happen in football. We've got nothing to lose, and we've got to do all we can to upset the odds. We've got to leave all thoughts of our recent friendly in the dressing room because we suffered from their game back then, but our aim is to reach the next round." – AS Roma manager Rudi Garcia on the upcoming test against Barcelona
RECENT FORM
We're only three matches into the Serie A season, and already, AS Roma has asserted itself as a force to be reckoned with. The Giallorossi have nailed down consecutive wins against Frosinone and Juventus after a 1-1 draw to open up the year against Hellas Verona which could have gone much worse.
Barca just keeps rolling. The Spanish giants have done nothing less but assert their force on the rest of La Liga thus far, putting up three wins in three matches after falling in the Super Cup to Atletico Madrid.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
You know it's not a good sign when your manager is saying that it is going to take a miracle for your team to win this match, especially when you're at home.
Edin Dzeko brings the Italian side a striker with a legitimate chance of scoring every time he puts his toe on the ball.
However, with Pjanic, the argument could be made that this Roma side is far worse than the one which was trounced by Barca 3-0 in the International Cup of Champions in the preseason.
On top of that, Messi is rested, while Neymar and Luis Suarez are just going to prove to be far too good in attack to be beaten.
This day will belong to the Catalans, as they walk out of Italy with a convincing victory.
Barcelona 2, AS Roma 0
BookMaker has live Champions League odds for every clash of the season. BookMaker is also going to have multiple betting options available for this nationally-televised match. Barcelona opened as a -157 favorite. The first offering of the total came in at 2.5. Live wagering during the match offers an adjusted moneyline, total and spread. Log in and start gambling during the soccer match now!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The fixture between Barcelona and AS Roma will take place on Wednesday, September 16, 2015, at 2:45 p.m. at Stadio Olimpico. The game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1.
