Madrid rivals meet in semi-finals
Published:
Stats predict a close encounter
Real Madrid host Atletico Madrid on Tuesday evening in the semi-finals of the Champions League, live on BT Sport from 7.45pm. Armchair fans are in for a real treat, while Coral punters will have plenty to cheer home too.
We offer up an abundance of big-match betting opportunities, including winner, first goal scorer, handicap and total goals. Click here to ensure your opinions pay-off.
Recent meetings point to the draw
This will be the third meeting of these old rivals this season, and the 61st in their history. The current head-to-head stats stand very much in favour of the home side, reading Real Madrid 34 – 10 Atletico Madrid, with 16 draws. The pair couldn’t be separated last time, ending 1-1 at the Bernabeu less than a month ago. Pep had the hosts ahead on 52-minutes, but that advantage was cut-out thanks to an equaliser from Atletico favourite Antoine Griezmann in the dying minutes of the match.
Punters looking to support the stats in this fixture will be interested to know that last month’s two-goal draw was the second 1-1 finish at this venue in-a-row, and siding with the hat-trick will see you bank a tempting 11/2, if it comes good again. Keeping things simple and taking a draw, regardless of the final score, is a 5/2 poke.
Three of the last five Madrid derby matches at any venue has seen both teams find the net, and that is sure to rate as a handy option for accumulator backers, with Coral’s traders giving out 10/11, which looks massive, given that stat.
It’s worth noting that these two battled out a 1-1 finish when meeting in the final of this competition back in May 2014, Godin and Ramos scoring, before Los Blancos ran away with it in extra-time, goals from Bale, Marcelo and Ronaldo turning the game on its head.
Ronaldo vs Griezmann
Cristiano Ronaldo has been in stunning form going in to this one, scoring the opening goal against Valencia at the weekend, and was seen rattling in a deadly hat-trick in this fixture late last year. It’s little surprise to find CR7 priced as a 16/5 favourite to score first, or 5/6 to get amongst the goals at any time during proceedings.
Main danger for Ronaldo and co on Tuesday evening will be French assassin Antoine Griezmann. The 26-year-old is reportedly top of Jose Mourinho’s summer wish-list, while Chelsea are thought to be also showing an interest, with a view to replacing want-away attacker Diego Costa.
The hot-shot scored the match winner against Espanyol recently, and our traders have enhanced him to an eye-popping 13/2 to grab the first goal of the game, boosted from the 11/2 we were originally offering. That slice of value may be too good to ignore.
