UEFA Champions League
Champions League semi-final 1st leg preview: Manchester City unfazed by the Bernabeu
With the Champions League drawing to a close, just four teams remain to fight it out for the most prestigious trophy in European football. With two of the world’s best teams going head-to-head – as well as a historic city derby in Italy – it is sure to be an enticing semi-final stage.
We preview the first leg matches below.
Real Madrid v Manchester City – Tuesday 20:00
Despite being considered by many to be the best team in world football at the moment, Manchester City couldn’t have asked for a tougher test than the 14-time European champions and current Champions League holders Real Madrid.
The first leg takes place at the home of the reigning champions where last year Los Blancos completed an epic late comeback to send City crashing out of the competition once again. Real Madrid’s need for a miracle comeback last year, as well as their poor league form this year, sees the Spanish giants head into the first leg as the 9/4 underdogs to win at their home stadium.
Manchester City are the most in-form team in Europe at the moment, winning 17 of their last 20 matches in all competitions and drawing three. Pep Guardiola’s men are favourites to go to the Bernabeu and win at 11/10, and with the away goals rule scrapped, City may not feel fully comfortable with a draw at 13/5.
City have scored 12 goals in their four knockout matches this season and with some of the best attacking players the game has to offer on show on Tuesday night, over 3.5 match goals looks to be an interesting punt at 7/4.
This matchup also sees arguably the two best strikers in the world going head-to-head with Erling Haaland and Karim Benzema scoring 80 goals in all competitions between them this season. Contributing to 51 of those, Haaland is favourite to score anytime on Tuesday at 10/11 with Benzema just behind at 6/4.
Check out football betting odds at William Hill
AC Milan v Inter Milan – Wednesday 20:00
One of the most historic derbies in football, the away goal rule was never valid here as both Milan sides face off at the San Siro. With some of the games greatest ever players wearing either the Red and Black or Blue and Black stripes, the Rossoneri against the Nerazzurri is one of the most recognisable rivalries in football history.
AC Milan have the ‘home advantage’ in the first leg, with ticket allocation the only difference. There is no doubt the AC fans will make it count, but despite having the majority of support on the night, Stefano Pioli’s men are slight underdogs at 2/1 to win the first leg.
Inter sit just above their city rivals in Serie A and that shows in the betting as they are 7/5 for the first leg. Inter were 1-0 victors in the last meeting between these two sides and they will hope to carry that momentum into this game. However, the sides have a 3-3 aggregate scoreline over their two meetings in the league this season and at 11/5, a draw in the first leg of this tie is certainly not unlikely.
Veteran striker Olivier Giroud has shown no signs of slowing down with the Frenchman scoring five in the Champions League this season and he is the most likely to find the back of the net for his side at 10/3. Not long ago a wonderkid, Lautaro Martinez is now one of Europe’s most prolific scorers and the Argentine forward will be looking to add to his tally of 23 goals in all competitions this season at 21/10 to score in the first leg.
