First win of the blog

This post is to let you know I have won my first bet of the blog.

The first tip I offered you came in. I offered you the tip of Barcelona to beat Arsenal 3-1 and it happened. Let's hope it will be the first of many winning tips I present to you.

I can honestly say that I am not surprised with the scoreline, as everyone who knows something about football recognise the fact that Barcelona are a hard team to beat when they are in a fluid, free-passing mood, as they were midweek.

What I was shocked with was that Arsenal did not look like their usual self, they looked like a Sunday league team at best. Barcelona managed to carve open Arsene Wenger's men with ease, making them look non-existant. The way the Catalan giants passed the ball around the field just epitomised the way total football should be played.

Questions have been raised about whether this Barcelona team is the best team ever and with football on show, like they did against Arsenal and have done already in a 5-0 drubbing over arch rivals Real Madrid earlier this season, it's hard to argue with this point.

But the fact is Arsenal did not look like a team that had famously beaten 'the best team in the world' in the first leg. They struggled to keep hold of possession and when they did they failed to press forward and attack Barcelona.

I predicted that Arsenal would get the first goal and force Barcelona into playing attacking football but it was not the case. Barcelona attacked from start to finish and Arsenal created a new stat for the season, one they will not want reminding of.

Wenger's side became the first side this season to have not mustered a shot against their opposition in a European competition or any national league game.

The 3-1 score line suggests that they had a shot but the matter of the fact is that they didn't. The Arsenal goal came through a Sergio Busquets own goal. The make shift defender rose highest in the Barcelona penalty area and headed an Arsenal corner into his own goal.

The own goal must have spurred Pep Guardiola's side on as they went onto hit three goals to take them through to the Champion's League quarter finals with a 3-1 scoreline as I predicted.

I was a man to my word and stuck £1 on the scoreline at 9/1 with Coral and I'm glad I did as it came in and earnt me £10.

What I am annoyed is that when I was in the bookies putting my bet on I saw another bet that took my fancy and decided to put £2 on it.

I saw a bet that showed Arsenal to win the first half and then Barcelona to win the game was offered at 28/1, worth a couple of quid I thought. Apparently not.

It taught me that you should only put bets on results you are sure are confident that will come in and not get lured into value bets.

On the whole I offered the tip of Barcelona 3-1 Arsenal at 9/1 and won £10 off it..not a bad start to the betting blog.