Barcelona's away day struggles
La Liga 
/ Michael Lintorn / 07 November 2011 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market
Whereas they didn’t drop a point on their travels until February in 2010-11, Barcelona have surrendered six already this term.
Betfair's La Liga specialist Tobias Gourlay enjoyed the sort of weekend that all punters dream of, delivering three winning tips out of four, each at monster odds of [6.4] or greater.
One of his recommendations was to back Marcelo Bielsa's in-form Athletic Bilbao to maintain their unbeaten run by holding champions Barcelona on Sunday night, and they did just that with a 2-2 draw with significant circumstances.
Real Madrid had sent a message earlier in the day in their first ever midday La Liga fixture by thrashing Osasuna 7-1 and Barca were unable to produce the desired response at San Mames, coming from behind twice to avoid defeat, the second time right at the death.
The setback leaves them three points behind the capital club with only four games to go until Clasico number one at the Bernabeu, in which - should they overcome tough tests against Valencia, Atletico Madrid and Sporting Gijon - Real Madrid will have an opportunity to double their advantage.
The prospect of Barcelona being dethroned after three seasons of setting the standard under Pep Guardiola is still difficult for punters to adjust to, and the consequence is that they remain marginal favourites at [1.98], with Real Madrid in to [2.08].
An away record that, by their unprecedentedly high standards, has to be judged very disappointing, is a major concern for the Champions League holders though. Whereas they didn't drop a point on their travels until February in 2010-11, they have surrendered six already this term.
Real Sociedad, Valencia and now Athletic Bilbao have all frustrated them and their only victories at strugglers Sporting Gijon and Granada were claimed by 1-0 margins - not the sort of form that you want to carry into a potentially pivotal clash with your fiercest rivals.
Rendering their trouble on the road all the more surprising is the fact that Barcelona's two European away ties against BATE Borisov and Plzen ended 5-0 and 4-0 in their favour, causing them to be rated [3.0] frontrunners to retain the Champions League.
