Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Women's Champions League match.
Barcelona’s dazzling attacking play has already taken them to the top of the Women’s Champions League group stage. The Catalan side became the first to break the ten-goal mark, and facing one of the tournament outsiders in Oud-Heverlee Leuven at home, they are fully equipped to deliver another convincing performance.
Barcelona (women)
Commanding wins over Bayern Munich (7:1) and AS Roma (4:0) once again confirmed that Barcelona are far ahead of their rivals. Against the German champions, the team needed only 1.99 xG to score seven goals (12 shots on target), while the trip to Rome showed a massive gap in expected goals (5.24-0.37). After the international break, the Catalans unexpectedly lost to Real Sociedad (0:1) but bounced back with a dominant 8:0 victory over Deportivo.
Oud-Heverlee Leuven (women)
Leuven started the group stage positively, earning points against Paris FC (2:2) and Twente (2:1), but the level of competition in those matches cannot compare with what awaits them here. The team were recently eliminated from the Belgian Cup after losing to Brugge (0:1) and continue to struggle domestically. Away from home, Leuven have kept a clean sheet in only three of nine matches this season — and now face the strongest club side in the world.
Barcelona (women) vs Oud-Heverlee Leuven (women) Prediction
Bookmakers’ odds clearly reflect Barcelona’s superiority. Leuven are unlikely to put up much resistance against the group leaders, who should comfortably cover the handicap.
