SMASH IT ON Ilunga's European Football Preview

So Barcelona are in unstoppable form. Messi is flying. Henry is finally scoring. Xavi is conducting. Iniesta is the true inspiration. How can they fail to beat Stuttgart? The unfashionable club that 'fluked' the Bundesliga last season. A team that have lost five times already this season. A side that are so bad they even lost to Rangers. The side that nobody seems to rate. Not least the layers that are in the process of pushing them out to 5/1 on the exchanges. Surely we should be lumping on the Catalans, as most of the sharp minds on that hotbed of betting-related discussion - the Betfair soccer forum - appear to be doing?

In fact, we shouldn't. We should be doing precisely the opposite. We should be backing the side that are unbeaten at home in over a year. Not the one who have only won nine of their last 22 away games in La liga. Domestic form is about all we have to go on, as it's a long time since Stuttgart graced the Champions League. Some may argue that the Bundesliga is a poor league, and Stuttgart were poor Champions but, fact is, Armin Veh's side are at least at the same level as a top six Spanish side. The kind of sides that Barcelona have consistently failed to beat on their travels under Rijkaard.

There's no doubt that Barca are in scintillating form at present, but they haven't been tested away from the Nou Camp yet this season. It's easy to forget, with all the salivating over performances against Lyon, Sevilla and the mighty Levante, that Lionel Messi and co. were unable to break down mid-table Spanish sides like Osasuna or (ten-man) Racing just a few weeks ago. That particular crisis has been rather conveniently forgotten. However, Rijkaard has another crisis on his hands. Gianluca Zambrotta is unavailable, likely to be replaced by the often-maligned Oleguer. The commanding Gabi Milito is a serious doubt, meaning the ring-rusty Carlos Puyol, or the three-quarter fit Rafael Marquez may be required to fill in. Marquez may in fact be required in midfield - a position that Rijkaard has rarely entrusted the Mexican International to perform - due to the injury to the outstanding Yaya Toure. With Edmilson on the sidelines and Motta having been flogged to Atletico, there are precious few options available to the Dutchman. The other would be to call upon a certain Brazilian who is now fit after 'injury'. How to get the Goofy one back in the side without dropping your player of the season - Iniesta - to accommodate him. Ronaldinho for Toure? An obvious like-for-like replacement. Who needs balance when you've got the best player in the world?

So what about Armin Veh's Stuttgart. Languishing down in 10th place in the Bundesliga. Beaten by Rangers. Can they really trouble the mighty Barca? Similar questions were asked of Veh at this stage last season. Embarrassed by Nurnberg and Dortmund in their own backyard. Languishing near the foot of the table. Not given a prayer of even making a European place, let alone over-taking the fancied Werder Bremen, Schalke04 and the reigning champions Bayern Munich. What followed was a remarkable turnaround from Veh's young side, with Messrs Schaaf, Slomka and Hitzfeld all seeing their title-chasing charges comprehensively beaten at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion. From early September 2006 onwards, no side has managed to take maximum points away from Swabia. A fantastic home run which was the catalyst for a shock Championship triumph. Despite this season's troubles, Stuttgart are still unbeaten on their own patch, having taken 10 points from a possible 12 in the Bundesliga.

There's no doubting that Barca are the much classier side. More successful, more experienced, more high-profile players. Mario Gomez, Stuttgart's half-Spanish striker is a self-confessed Barcelona fan. He may just feel a tingle down his spine when he shakes the hand of Messi, Henry and co. However, with 19 strikes in his last 28 games, he has no reason to feel inferior. Frank Rijkaard has targeted the German International as the man to watch. With the likes of Cacau, Basturk and Hilbert looking to feed their prolific target-man at every opportunity, Rijkaard will be hoping his injury-hit defence are watching Gomez just as closely. Veh has been keen to play down his team's chances but knows that he possesses enough weapons to spring a shock here. Preventing chances, rather than creating them, has been the pressing concern, with Portuguese International Fernando Meira looking some way below his best. With essentially the same personnel that impressed last season, it's inevitable that things will pick up in that regard at some stage. However, Messi and Henry will present the biggest test yet for an under-fire Stuttgart defence.

The nature of the Champions League group stages means there is no harm in taking a point in selected away matches. Previous group-stage performances in Bremen, Chelsea and Panathinaikos suggest that Rijkaard is happy to pick up the scraps and get the job done at the Nou Camp. While Barca are obviously favourites to win, they are no 8/11 shots to beat a strong home side like Stuttgart, given their away record during the past year, and injury-doubts to key players like Toure, Milito and Zambrotta. While not as high-profile as some in the Catalan camp, these defensive-minded players are just as important in providing the platform for Henry and Messi to shake their stuff at the other end. We could see plenty of action at both ends, with a Gomez vs Henry shootout going some way to deciding which side emerges triumphant. Keep an eye on www.fifa.com for team news later on, as it may well be worth going long on goals, should Rijkaard decide that attack is the best form of defence.

Recommendation: 3pts Stuttgart +0.75 @ 2.09. Canbet 0.75pts Stuttgart @ 6.0. Betfair.

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