Roberto Soldado

Former Getafe striker Soldado has pushed his claim to be the principal striker for Los Che with five goals in three game league games so far this season – including a hat-trick in a 4-3 win against Racing Santander on the opening weekend of the Spanish season – and will be desperate to show former Mestalla favourite Villa he is not missed.

Villa – who scored 107 league goals in five seasons for Valencia, before leaving for Camp Nou at the start of last season – has had to play second fiddle to free-scoring Argentinian maestro Lionel Messi but finally opened his campaign with a brace in the 8-0 rout of Osasuna at the weekend.

The World Cup winner missed the corresponding fixture at Mestalla last season (which Barca won 1-0), but will be anxious to put one over his former employers.

Soldado, given his start to the season, is a wholly attractive 9/4 to score anytime against Barca. He is also a speculative 8/1 to score first, which he has done is two of Valencia’s three La Liga games so far.

Villa cannot be ignored at 5/4 to score anytime with the incentive of going back to the Mestalla, while Barca can be backed at 1/3 in the To Score First Goal market, which is priced accordingly given that this bet would have landed in all of their three La Liga games so far.

Gerard Pique, who suffered a calf injury during training for the Spanish Super Cup on August 23, took part in training on Monday but Pep Guardiola has given no indication whether he will replace makeshift central defender Javier Mascherano.

Elsewhere in La Liga on Wednesday, Real Madrid should get back on track against winless Racing Santander at Campos de Sport de El Sardinero (Racing Santander 11/1, draw 5/1, Real Madrid 2/9 – Match Prices).

Atletico Madrid will be hoping to make it three clean sheets on the bounce in all competitions, when they play host to basement club Sporting Gijon (Atletico Madrid 2/5, draw 10/3, Sporting Gijon 13/2 – Match Prices).

And this summer’s big-spenders Malaga will be expected to collect maximum points and keep a third La Liga clean sheet against strugglers Athletic Bilbao (Malaga 4/6, draw 11/4, Athletic Bilbao 4/1 – Match Prices).

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Arjen Robben

The Dutch duo were flogged to Bayern Munich and Inter respectively within a day of each other as Real sought to recover some cash after the outrageous expenditure to sign the Portuguese and Brazilian ex-World Players of the Year.

Both players have excelled in their new surroundings this season and arrive in Madrid to contest a Champions League final which will see one of their clubs win a treble.

Robben (5/1 joint favourite in Totesport’s Sky Man of the Match market) inspired Bayern’s two incredible knockout victories over Fiorentina and Manchester United, both on the away goals rule.

He scored a penalty and induced a red-card for an Italian opponent in the first-leg of Bayern’s second round clash at home to the Serie A club, but saved a greater impact for the second leg in Florence when he danced around would-be tacklers to fire in an unstoppable 25-yard drive to ensure qualification.

It remains arguably the goal of the competition and could colour the thoughts of Sky’s studio panel when they come to name the Man of the Match tonight if no outstanding candidate emerges from the clash.

Robben’s knockout blow against Manchester United and his instantly-recognisable face from years spent at Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea could also lead the likes of Jamie Redknapp and compatriot Ruud Gullit to nominate him if Bayern take the spoils.

Wesley Sneijder’s Real Madrid career mirrored that of Robben’s almost exactly, they were signed within a fortnight of each other  and disposed of in similar circumstances,  albeit having built different reputations at the club.

While Robben remained the consummate professional, Sneijder was known to have liked the Madrid nightlife.

He was disciplined by Real over his conduct at a time when off the field, his marriage was collapsing.

The former Ajax starlet (5/1 joint favourite in Totesport’s Sky Man of the Match market) has flourished under Mourinho at Inter and been almost equally important to his team’s Champions League fate as Robben – although he probably has had a slightly better supporting cast to work alongside with Diego Milito, Lucio and Samuel Eto’o also contributing to big wins over Chelsea and FC Barcelona.

But Sneijder’s ability to knit the midfield together and provide cunning balls to the frontmen has caught the eye of Sky commentator Andy Gray during Inter’s incredible run and he may cast his vote for the Dutchman if Mourinho’s tactics win out.

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