Champions League: Two Games, One Winner as New Force Meets Superpower

Manchester City vs Real Madrid

The Champions League has reached the semi-finals stage and there is literally no room for error now.

The history books show this is a clash between an established superpower and a new power as Manchester City bid to reach a second successive final against Real Madrid, who are in the semi-finals of the competition for the 10^th time in 12 seasons.

However, the new money and new era mean it is the English champions who start as favourites with the SBOTOP Champions League 2022 betting odds.

Talking Points

You can never rule Real Madrid out, of course, because whenever they are involved, there tends to be Champions League 2022 highlights.

They have won 16 European Cup semi-finals overall, including four of the previous nine they have been involved in since 2011, and their route to the last four this term has been thrilling.

In the last 16, they were 2-0 down on aggregate to Paris St Germain with half an hour of the second leg remaining.

What duly followed was impressive as Karim Benzema hit a 16-minute hat-trick which will be unforgettable for anyone of a Los Blancos persuasion.

It turned out that cameo was just for starters.

Against reigning European champions Chelsea in the quarter-finals, the deadly Frenchman was at it again with another hat-trick and arguably an even greater all-around performance.

He then headed the decisive goal of the return in extra time as Madrid fought back from 3-0 down on the night to go through 5-4 on aggregate.

Benzema has now netted 71 goals for the La Liga giants in the competition, five ahead of club legend Raul (66) and behind only another club legend, Cristiano Ronaldo (105).

He will be the man City have to stop as they, like Madrid, seek a domestic league and Champions League double.

While Madrid had the weekend off, City – who showed character and class to send the other Madrid club, Atletico, packing in the quarter-finals – were ensuring they stayed top of the Premier League by thrashing lowly Watford 5-1 at home, an encounter in which Gabriel Jesus netted four goals.

Perhaps he is the player Real need to be wary of for the Brazilian often goes under the radar when people discuss City.

His stats are impressive, though. In all competitions, Jesus has scored 93 goals in 230 games and made 41 assists. His trophy haul is not too shabby either – he is chasing his fourth Premier League title this season and has already collected four domestic cups.

Will this prove a shoot-out between two strikers? Probably not as there is far too much talent in all other areas of the pitch.

Yet don’t be surprised if either of these frontmen grab a crucial goal over the two legs.

History

These sides have had some key clashes in the past decade.

They met in the 2016 semi-finals, drawing 0-0 in Manchester before Fernando’s own goal at the Santiago Bernabéu took Real to the final, where they beat city rivals Atletico on penalties.

Pep Guardiola’s men avenged that defeat in 2020, with 2-1 success away – a night when Sergio Ramos received the 26^th red card of his career and Manchester City came of age in Europe – and then at home on a night when City took advantage of Real defensive errors.

I billed that as the match of the week anywhere in world football and this Tuesday’s clash is exactly the same.

The sides’ only other competitive fixtures came in the 2012/13 group stage when Madrid twice came from behind to win 3-2 in Spain on Matchday 1. City led twice through Edin Džeko (68) and Aleksandar Kolarov (85) but Madrid responded through Marcelo (76) and Benzema (87) before Cristiano Ronaldo snatched a 90th-minute victory.

The return in Manchester ended one-apiece with Sergio Agüero’s penalty cancelling out Benzema’s 10^th-minute opener.

Those four points helped José Mourinho’s Madrid finish second in Group D, behind Borussia Dortmund; City, then managed by Roberto Mancini, ended bottom with three points having not won a game.

Betting Tip

City are clearer favourites with our odds than I realised.

For example, you can back the Citizens 1X2 @ 1.51 or Asian Handicap -1.25 @ 2.20, with Madrid adrift, unusually, as far out as @ 6.00 and Asian Handicap +1.00 @ 2.04.

The draw will tempt many, especially with odds of @ 4.10.

Another 2-1 City success, meanwhile, will pay out with Correct Score @ 6.80.

This is not expected to be a low scoring affair judging on the odds which include Total Goal 0-1 @ 4.10 and Over 2.75 goals @ 1.93. I do think City will edge this and lead at the break and at full-time.

 

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