Tag: Real Madrid

Napoli v Real Madrid: Partenopei Face Uphill Battle To Progress

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

European football’s premier club competition, the Champions League, returns on Tuesday evening with 11-times champions Real Madrid travelling to Naples aiming to secure their place in the quarter-final draw.

They will take a two-goal advantage into the match in southern Italy after recording a 3-1 victory in the first leg at the Bernabeu three weeks ago. However, Lorenzo Insigne’s opening goal for the visitors that night gives the passionate Partenopei supporters real hope that their heroes can overturn their two-goal deficit and progress at the expense of their more illustrious opponents.

Madrid Looking for ‘La Dos Décima’

Reigning European champions Real, who defeated cross-city rivals Atlético on penalties in last May’s final in Milan to win their 11th title, overcame that early goal from Insigne thanks to goals from Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos and a stunning Casemiro volley to put themselves in the driving seat for a place in the tournament’s last eight.

And despite a concerning run of form of late for Zinedine Zidane’s men, a run including defeat on the road at Valencia and dropped points at home to Las Palmas, leading some dramatists to declare it a crisis, Los Merengues will head into Tuesday’s match in the intimidating atmosphere of the Stadio San Paolo as the overwhelming favourites to emerge as aggregate victors. BetVictor are currently quoting them as low as 1/12 to progress and 9/2 to become the first club since Arrigo Sacchi’s dominant AC Milan of the late 1980s and early 1990s to retain the much-coveted trophy.

Napoli, under the guidance of Maurizio Sarri, finished top of their group in the pool stages and will be hoping Real suffer from stage fright as the club strive to move a giant step closer towards winning the ultimate prize in club football, adding to their sole previous European triumph when the legendary Diego Maradona inspired them to UEFA Cup glory in 1991.

Napoli Out to Overcome Long Odds

Currently sitting third in the Serie A table behind dominant leaders Juventus and second-placed Roma, Napoli is a huge but tempting 6/1 with Ladbrokes to overcome the odds and the doubters to eliminate the current holders.

They do however possess the necessary firepower to achieve the impossible with the likes of Insigne, Belgian forward Dries Mertens, former Madridista José María Callejón and goalscoring captain Marek Hamšík within their ranks. Mertens, Napoli’s top scorer in the competition with four to date and an impressive 16 goals in Serie A this season is a tempting 5/1 with Sky Bet to open the scoring, while Callejón is a tasty 13/2 to net first against his former employers.

However, if the Italian giants are to progress in the competition, they will need to shut out Real’s own trio of superstars, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Welshman Gareth Bale who has extra motivation to reach a third final in four seasons with his home city of Cardiff set to host this year’s showpiece event.

Ronaldo to Renew Rivalry with Reina

Ronaldo, Real’s leading marksmen once again this term with 18 league goals, has yet to hit the heights in Europe during this campaign, netting just twice to date. He is nevertheless the favourite with Sky Bet to silence the home fans with the game’s first goal at 7/2, while he is 9/1 with the same bookmaker to claim a sixth career Champions League hat-trick.

The man tasked with the responsibility of stopping his former Manchester United rival Ronaldo and his fellow superstars will be Spanish international goalkeeper Pepe Reina, born in Madrid and son of Miguel who donned the gloves for Real’s arch-rivals Barcelona and Atlético Madrid during his own distinguished career. Reina Jr, a beaten finalist with Liverpool in 2007, is 4/1 to keep a clean sheet with Paddy Power. If he can achieve such an impressive feat and his teammates can find two goals from somewhere, Napoli will progress on away goals at Real’s expense.

Anything can happen in football of course and I may find a spare fiver from somewhere to wager on Napoli achieving a major shock. But I wouldn’t bet my mortgage on it!

Goals Expected In The Spanish Capital

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

THE Champions League returns this week and one of the biggest matches of the round is at the Bernabeu Stadium where 11-time champions of Europe Real Madrid host Napoli in the Spanish capital.

Madrid is a very heavy 1.57 favourite to take a first leg lead to southern Italy in a fortnight’s time, and with them sitting pretty at the top of La Liga, favourite backers will be out in force, but I am not so sure it’s the right thing to do.

Zinedine Zidane’s side hasn’t been in the best of form recently with just three wins in their last seven matches and this might not be as one-sided as the bookies will have you believe.

Madrid is unbeaten at home in the Champions League this season, but they’ve conceded in every match and they have also conceded in every one of their six group matches in this year’s Champions League and getting with goals looks the way to profit.

In those six matches not only did both teams score, but everyone featured more than 2.5 goals and the best bets in this first leg is the 1.62 on “yes” for both teams to score that is available with most bookies and 1.55 on over 2.5 goals in the match which is pretty general as well.

It’s the same story in Napoli games with both teams scoring in nine of the last ten and over 2.5 goals have come in as a winning bet in 11 of the Italian giants last 13 games and goals look a certainty.

Can we See a Shock?

The rule when Napoli play is to usually get with them at their Stadio San Paolo and oppose them away from home, but this season they’ve turned that away form on its head having only lost twice on their travels and just three times all season.

The Ciucciarelli have been totally overlooked to win this one at the 6.50 with Bet365 and Maurizio Sarri’s side has got a much better chance than those odds suggest.

The visitors are unbeaten in their last 18 matches and they offer a massive goal threat with 40 goals scored in their last 13, including SEVEN in their last away match at Bologna; Serie A’s top goal scorers can get something from this and I am taking the draw at the general 4.50.

Unlike Spanish v Italian European match-ups of yesteryear, this will be an entertaining end-to-end thriller, and at 15.00 I am going to have a very small bet on the game to end 2-2 in the correct score markets.

Madrid To Win A Champions League Classic

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

IT’S a winner takes all clash at the Bernabéu on Wednesday night when Champions league holders Real Madrid host Borussia Dortmund in the Spanish capital.

The winner of this massive clash will top Group F and give themselves a huge advantage in the knock-out stages, and of all the final matches at the group stages, this one looks by some way the best.

Madrid is six points clear at the top of La Liga; the weekend draw with title rivals Barcelona was their 22nd match of the season still yet to taste a defeat, and I can’t see them losing this one.

Zinedine Zidane’s side are 1.91 favourites for the win with a whole host of bookies, and they are proving a very popular selection, but Dortmund arrive in good form and they aren’t to be underestimated.

The Bundesliga side has lost just once in the last 11 matches and they are 4.20 for the win.

In the 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture they were much the better side, and with them knowing that a draw will be enough for them to top the group, they may decide to come to Madrid for a point.

The draw is available at 4.00 but I can’t see that happening. If the visitors decide to defend, then it will play to the 11 times champions of Europe’s hands, and there is no better team capable of dealing with that threat than Madrid.

How’s It Going to End Up?

I think 1.91 is a good price on the home side, and even though record signing Gareth Bale is unavailable they still have the main man for the big occasion in Cristiano Ronaldo, plus I like the Portuguese superstar to open the goalscoring at the general 4.20.

If Madrid scores early it means that the game will open up and neutrals will be in for a real treat with two of the best attacking sides in the continent going all out on the attack, and both teams to score”yes” at 1.50 with Betfair Sportsbook does look a good thing.

Goals certainly look on the cards and this really could be one of the best games in the group stages, and at a huge 19.00, I am going to have a very small bet on Madrid to go one better than they did in Germany to win this 3-2 with William Hills.

Sporting Lisbon vs. Real Madrid: Will Injury Issues Hurt Real?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Real Madrid might be firing on all cylinders in La Liga this season, but the Spanish side’s form in the Champions League has been far from vintage. With two wins and two draws, one of which was against bottom of Group E Legia Warsaw, Real Madrid are currently second in the table behind Dortmund.

Although Zinedine Zidane’s men have yet to taste defeat in La Liga or the Champions League this season, they’ve certainly been tested. In fact, the last time Real squared-off against Sporting Lisbon, the players found themselves on the back foot for much of the game.

Despite playing at home, the current champions were unable to find a break against Sporting in the first half and eventually fell behind within three minutes of the restart. Thanks to some solid forward pressure by the likes of Gelson Martins and Bas Dost, Sporting finally got their reward courtesy of Cesar.

Defensive Frailties Cost Real

A series of defensive blunders from Luka Modric and Sergio Ramos gave the visitors the break they’d been searching for and they didn’t waste their opportunity. Unfortunately, Real’s attacking prowess was always there in the background and, despite being under the cosh, two late strikes from Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata stole a victory from the jaws of defeat.

Although the record books will show that Real Madrid won the match, the details certainly don’t reflect well on a side looking to defend its Champions League title. So why did Zidane’s men struggle? One thing’s for sure, it wasn’t for a lack of opportunities. According to the stats, Real had 15 shots during the game; 11 of which were inside the box. The problem, however, is that just three of those were on target.

That kind of strike-to-target ratio is simply not good enough in the Champions League. Indeed, when you consider that Sporting had seven shots on target and an accuracy rating of 66.7%, it’s easy to see how they almost nicked the game with a single goal.

Of course, all the blame doesn’t sit with the frontline. Sporting’s goal came as the result of a defensive error and, throughout the game, it didn’t look as though Ramos, Marcelo and Daniel Carvajal were working in unison. In fact, this defensive frailty was also evident during Real’s 3-3 draw with Legia Warsaw.

Odds Favour Madrid but Dynamics Could Help Sporting

This time around, the bookmakers aren’t predicting any major upsets. However, given the last match was so tight, this could be a mistake. Sun Bets currently has the home side as the 4/1 outsiders while Madrid is coming in at 3/5. Paddy Power’s team are equally pessimistic about Sporting’s chances with identical odds on a home win and 8/15 on the visitors taking all three points.

What appears to be missing from the analysis here is Real’s propensity to make mistakes at the back. While it’s true that Sporting have only managed four goals in four games, Jorge Jesus’ men have shown they’re capable of some tough forward pressure. Moreover, we already know that Cesar and Dost are more than capable of capitalising on defensive mistakes.

It’s also worth noting that Real will be heading into the match after what promises to be a tough derby game against Atletico Madrid. As is the case in any derby game, passion can often give rise to some crunching tackles and unexpected knocks. If that proves to be the case, Real could be in for a tough night on November 22.

With Morata diagnosed with a grade 2 muscle injury to his hamstring following international duty, Madrid can’t afford to lose any more players before their next Champions League match. Indeed, if Morata isn’t at full fitness, it could turn this match into a real slugfest. Although a Sporting win might be too much of a stretch, there could be some value in a draw. Coral is currently offering 3/1 on that result and, if Morata misses the game, there’s certainly a chance this could happen.

There’s Value in a Repeat

Of course, if you feel that Real will still have too much for Sporting and you want to get a little more specific, a score cast could be profitable. As we know, Madrid can score, but they can also concede. With this in mind, another 2-1 prediction in favour of the visitors could see you earn 7/1 on your stake at Coral.

On paper, this game should see Real Madrid clinch another three points. However, given the previous game and the current injury issues, things may not go to plan when the Spanish giants travel to Lisbon on November 22.

Champions League Preview: Will Leicester Continue Their European Adventure?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

While Leicester City’s defence of their Premier League title can be described as stuttering at best, there’s no denying that the Foxes are flying in the UEFA Champions League.

Handed a relatively favourable group on their European debut, Claudio Ranieri’s men have taken to the competition like ducks to water and are remarkably one of only three teams to boast a 100% record after their opening trio of matches. As such, Leicester travels to the Danish capital on Wednesday knowing that even a point against FC Copenhagen will guarantee their progress into the round of 16.

That being said, the bookmakers certainly aren’t expecting an easy night for the visitors, with Copenhagen rated as 13/10 favourites and Leicester coming in slightly behind at 5/2 with Bet365. It is worth noting that Ståle Solbakken’s team are unbeaten at Telia Park this season and were also fairly unfortunate not to come away with something in the reverse fixture, so steaming into the away side may be foolhardy here.

Given Ranieri’s team are yet to concede a goal in this season’s Champions League, the 15/2 offered by Sky Bet on the game finishing 0-0 should perhaps be of more interest. Obviously the Italian will want to have qualification from Group G wrapped up on the night, but when an unstoppable force like Leicester’s perfect record meets an immovable object like Copenhagen’s home form, it is often best to back the stalemate.

Ronaldo To Run Riot

Things are unlikely to be so tentative over in Group F where Real Madrid make the trip to Poland to face a Legia Warsaw side that they thrashed 5-1 a fortnight ago. The hosts are without a point in the Champions League so far and have conceded a staggering 13 goals in their previous three matches, making Bet365’s quote of 28/1 on them causing an upset look anything but wide of the mark.

Despite his team’s comfortable victory, Cristiano Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure in the reverse fixture as he failed to find the net, but it certainly wasn’t for want of trying. The Portuguese fired nine attempts at goal – finding the target twice – and is unlikely to be in such a charitable mood as he closes in on a century of European strikes on Wednesday. Indeed, BetVictor has Madrid’s star man down at odds as short as 2/1 to score two or more goals in Warsaw, but it remains an attractive price given the host’s defensive woes.

While a best price of 1/8 from BetFred on Zinedine Zidane’s side emerging with all three points in the game is unlikely to get the blood pumping, the winning margin market may yet prove a more viable option. With Legia shipping six goals to Borussia Dortmund without response in their previous Champions League home fixture, you can get a decent price of 15/8 on the visitors winning by four goals or more with PaddyPower.

Do Or Die For Spurs

With Tottenham full-back Danny Rose describing his side’s upcoming games against Bayer Leverkusen and Arsenal as ones that could “make or break” Spurs’ season, Mauricio Pochettino will be eager to see his team send out the right message as they host the Germans at Wembley Stadium.

Unbeaten in the Premier League, it’s been a mixed bag of results for the North London side in Europe, with a loss, a win and a draw leaving them precariously placed in a tight Group E. Having failed to find the net more than once in any of their Champions League fixtures this season, it looks likely to be another nervy night for Spurs and Bet365 currently have them down at evens to secure victory with the visitors at 13/5.

Given Roger Schmidt’s side have been similarly shy in front of goal in the competition so far, the over/under market may be the way to go and 888sport are offering 29/10 that the game is decided by a single strike. Those wishing to boost their odds will find better value in William Hill’s 15/2 quote that the hosts win the game 1-0, but whichever way you cut it, it looks like anything but a comfortable evening for the home team.

Champions League – Real Madrid v Juventus

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Juventus have been the surprise package of the Champions League this season but they are being taken very seriously now. The deservedly ran out 2-1 winners of their semi-final first leg against Real Madrid in Turin and must fancy their chances of eliminating the champions on Wednesday night.

Barcelona fell to a 3-2 defeat against Bayern Munich on Tuesday but the result of the tie was never in any doubt. A 3-0 win in the first leg have put them in an unassailable position and it was really just a case of going through the motions. There should be more fire and passion about Wednesday night’s encounter.

Juventus were cut from 9-1 to 6-1 to win the Champions League after the first leg and are only around even money to reach the final. Real Madrid are still leaning heavily on Cristiano Ronaldo, although there is a chance that Benzema may play some part here. He has been injured for around a month so I cannot see him lasting the full ninety minutes.

Juventus do welcome back Paul Pogba who scored on his return at the weekend. That should have been enough to earn his place in the starting line-up. With Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo also in the midfield, they look to have enough strength to cause the home side serious problems. Carlos Tevez and Alvaro Morata were outstanding in the first leg and the former is certainly worth supporting to score at some point in the match.

Real Madrid have only failed to score at home twice in the past four seasons. Ronaldo looks good value to open the scoring but I believe that Juventus have enough resilience to hold their own in this tie. They are dominant in their domestic league and there is a growing belief that Real Madrid are vulnerable.

I don’t think it will be a thrilling match so it is probably best to go low on goals and the 1-1 scoreline makes some appeal, a result that would send Juventus through to the final.

Cristiano Ronaldo to score first @10-3 Ladbrokes

Carlos Tevez to score at any time @3-1 Boylesports

Real Madrid 1 Juventus 1 @15-2 Paddy Power

Goals under 2.5 @11-10 Paddy Power