After a dramatic semi-final clash between Real Madrid and Chelsea, Bayern’s surprise exit, and City’s steely performance, we have ourselves a mouthwatering semi-final. Liverpool will square off with Villarreal, while Manchester City is pitted against Real Madrid. In this post, we talk about odds and where to put your money, and the talking points of the semi-final clashes.
The Odds
Bookmakers are already accepting bets for the semi-final. Gamblers who staked on Villarreal are already rubbing their hands and smiling. Top odds site Oddsshark.com puts Citizens at 8/15, Real Madrid at 21/4, and Villarreal at 20/1. Manchester City is the clear favorite to win. But Liverpool has proved to be their Achilles heel in major competitions.
Let’s preview the teams closely. We highly advise on gambling when you know. Do not bet blindly.
Real Madrid Vs. Manchester City
The two heavyweights are both in contention to clinch their domestic leagues. Champions against champions always promise to be a high-stakes match.
Last season’s losing finalists Manchester City Will be looking for their maiden European trophy, and they seem clear cut to win it. Real Madrid’s inexplicable run spearheaded by the mercurial Benzema may come to an expected end. Few teams can keep up with the Citizens’ accurate passing and relentless pressing. Real Madrid ekes out exceptional performances in the dying minutes of every game, and City’s gameplay doesn’t know how to handle such pressure. The Citizens almost crumbled in the last minute at Wanda Metropolitano when Angel Correa took his chance.
Real Madrid has the depth and quality to upset City. But it won’t be an easy task since Guardiola seems to have gotten Real Madrid’s number since their last Champions League encounter. Both teams will score-fact. Winning is entirely different and does not depend on pre-match statistics and form.
Who Will Win?
You would rake in more with wagering on both teams to score for the gambler. But if you really have to determine the winner, Manchester City is poised to win the first leg. The reverse fixture will be at the Bernabeu, and it’s a whole different atmosphere from The Etihad. For the three-way betting options, we go with 1/1.
Player Specials
The unwritten law of Real Madrid’s playing style is if Benzema scores, the assist is Vinicius’. The two will be fit for the semi-final match, and Benzema is likely the player to score for the Spanish outfit. Manchester City trusts talisman Kevin De Bruyne to bang in the goals or pull the strings at the heart of midfield. But we turn to Riyad Mahrez, who made an appearance from the bench in City’s 5-1 mauling of Watford. Mahrez is in the spotlight to score. Casemiro will most likely get a yellow card and Foden for his routine reckless tackling.
Villarreal vs Liverpool
What a quarter-final that was. A final before the final. Benfica’s Nunez almost upended Liverpool in their quarter-final clash. Benfica put up a steely display against Jurgen Klopp’s men, but their first leg goals proved to be the difference between them.
We predicted Villareal as the underdog team to upset Bayern. Bayern came into the game riding on an impressive goal difference and a stellar winning record. But the Europa Specialist, Unai Emery, had his side up to the task.
Villareal knocked out Bayern in the first leg and finished the proceedings in the Allianz Arena. Villarreal is a tricky team. They are super quick on the counter; they interchange wingers and target men in the frontline and can park the bus like their Spanish counterparts Atletico Madrid.
Liverpool vs. Villareal will be a low-scoring game, but we bank on Liverpool to find a break despite the Yellow Submarine’s high line defending.
Who Will Win?
Liverpool will win both legs of the semi-final matchup. We are not saying Villareal is a poor team. But it’s Liverpool they are up against. Liverpool’s Mohammed Salah, who has been in red-hot form all season, supplying crosses to Mane and Jota heading them in, is why we back Liverpool to win.
Player Specials
We highly doubt Villareal will score. Gerrard Moreno, however, is our player to watch and potentially score for the Spanish outfit. Liverpool’s talisman Salah with his lightning speed will keep Villareal’s Moreno, a former Liverpool player, occupied.
We know Thiago is world-class. Not many prediction sites are backing him to score. But in such a high-stakes match, the unlikely hero comes from midfield. If Thiago doesn’t score, he won’t miss cooking up a goal. Our money is on Salah, Jota, and Thiago to score or assist.
Conclusion
The 21/22 Champions League Anglo-Spanish Semi-final encounters begin on the 26th of April. We have given you the talking points for both games. Hopefully, you can make some buck with your bet. Injury news and player availability always determine the outcome. We will keep you updated if there are any significant changes in the odds before the games begin.
