Champions League Predictions > Apr 26th & 27th

[StevieDay1983]

[StevieDay1983]

The 2021/22 Champions League Semi-Finals are coming our way and the first legs will be here next week. Manchester City play Real Madrid and Liverpool take on Villarreal to decide who will contest this year's final. A lot to think about so let's hear your tips and predictions for these first two epic encounters! 

[StefanBB]

Manchester City vs Real Madrid

Manchester City, who won their previous game, will hope for a similar result following the 5:1 Premier League victory against Watford. They remained on the top of the Premier League, being one point ahead of Liverpool. It was their second straight win, and the Citizens have been very efficient lately. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City have found the net 13 times over their past six outings. Conversely, the number of goals that have been scored against them in that same time is 6. They need another good performance in front of their fans to get closer to the trophy they want so much.

Real Madrid goes into this encounter following a 3:1 La Liga win versus Osasuna in their most recent outing. Los Blancos shouldn’t worry too much in the domestic championship, as they need just one more point in the remaining five rounds to seal the title. In a total of 5 out of the previous six clashes involving Real Madrid, at least three goals have been struck. The average goals scored per match within that spell is 3.83, with the number of goals averaged by Real Madrid equalling 2.5. Real Madrid managed to win five times on the previous six occasions, and they hope they can pick up where they left off.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction                                                                            

It is going to be a great clash between the two rivals, and it can easily go either way. Although Manchester City is a favorite, we believe the bookies underestimate Real Madrid a lot. The visitors shouldn’t lose this game by more than a goal.

Goals Market Prediction

Both teams have been involved in many high-scoring matches this season, and they have very talented offenses. We should enjoy an interesting encounter where both teams should find the back of the opponent’s net.  

Real Madrid AH +1.5 @ 1.65

BTTS Yes @ 1.85

Correct score 2:1 @ 8.00

[StevieDay1983]

Manchester City vs Real Madrid

The 2021/22 Champions League Semi-Final first legs are here and the 8pm BST kick-off on Tuesday night will see Premier League leaders Manchester City host La Liga front runners Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium. This trophy has become almost an obsession for both of these teams over recent years but only one side can progress to the Final. Who will head into the second leg with the advantage?

Manchester City might have suffered a few set backs recently with Liverpool knocking them out of the FA Cup and the Reds also taking points off them to remain firmly in the title hunt. However, Pep Guardiola's side are still well placed to do the best double as they sit proudly on top of the Premier League table with just 5 league games to play and head into this tie with a big chance of reaching the Champions League final for a second year running. The Citizens are yet to concede in the knockout stages of this competition so far and eliminated their opponents' local rivals Atletico Madrid in the previous round. The team are also undefeated in their last 12 matches at home including winning 8 of those games and they are unbeaten at home in this competition so far this season. They are also free-scoring recently having scored 10 goals in their last 3 matches in all competitions. 

Real Madrid probably weren't listed as many people's favourites to win this trophy before the season started with the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, PSG, and Bayern Munich attracting the most pre-season bets. Carlo Ancelotti has engineered a business-like campaign though and it's clear the Italian head coach knows his way around this competition having already knocked out PSG and Chelsea in the knockout phase. Los Blancos are yet to keep a clean sheet in the knockout phase so far and have heavily relied on the potent scoring form of French striker Karim Benzema with the front man scoring 7 of the 8 goals Real have bagged in the knockout stage. Real's recent matches have been packed with goals and entertainment with 9 of their last 10 matches delivering over 2.5 goals scored.

I'm very interested to see how Real Madrid cope against this Manchester City team. Could experience help them to pull off a positive result or will their below par displays in recent games in this competition be punished unlike they were before? I just feel this is finally going to be Manchester City's year to win this trophy and they made need a bit of luck here to progress but I think they'll have it. I get the feeling Real Madrid are lucked out already!

Manchester City HT/FT @ 2.38 with SBK

Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 1.74 with SBK

[ALEXXXXXXXX]

Liverpool  @1.29

Analysis:

Liverpool takes on Villarreal in this season's UEFA Champions League semi-finals at the Anfield 

 

Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp's team 4-3-3 formation system has served them wonderfully well, unbeaten in their last 10 games across all competitions. Liverpool have been tough to beat on home. Liverpool won the last meeting between the clubs, emerging victorious 3-0 home win in a Europa League semi-finals match in 5th, May 2016. Mohamed Salah has been a key performer and the club's leading scorer with 8 goals in Champions League play. He is the player to look out for as Liverpool is expected to find the back of the net. 

 

Villarreal

The Yellow Submarine should be given credit for getting this far in the competition, keeping up to their performances along with countless surprising results. Believing the fact that Villarreal already knocked out Juventus and Bayern, anything is possible.

[StevieDay1983]

Liverpool vs Villarreal

The second game from the 2021/22 Champions League Semi-Final first legs is coming up at 8pm BST on Wednesday night when Premier League title chasers Liverpool take on La Liga underdogs Villarreal at Anfield. All of the pre-game talk has been wondering if the visiting team have been written off already with the home side as heavy favourites. Is it fair or could we see an upset?

Liverpool feel like a team on a mission right now. The Reds have won 19 of their previous 23 matches in all competitions. Jurgen Klopp's men are chasing that unprecedented quadruple which I am mentioning in every preview because it would be an incredible achievement and they continue with each passing week to edge closer to making it a reality. This is the third time in five seasons that Liverpool have reached this stage of the competition. The club sealed their place in the FA Cup Final earlier this month, have already won the EFL Cup, and find themselves just 1 point behind league leaders Manchester City in the Premier League. Surprisingly, the defence hasn't been at its best lately for Liverpool with the club conceding in 4 of their last 5 Champions League games. Luis Diaz could be a pick for anytime scorer having bagged 5 goals in his last 4 starts for the team.

Villarreal have already ripped up the form book by eliminating Juventus and Bayern Munich in this competition so far. Unai Emery is a master of European knockout football but he's continuing to break new ground with this team that may have won the Europa League last season but find themselves in 7th position in La Liga. The unlikely star man this season being former Bournemouth attacker Arnaut Danjuma. The Yellow Submarine are unbeaten in their last 4 away games in the Champions League and haven't lost any of their last 5 matches in all competitions. The team have also scored in 9 of their 10 games played in this competition so far. The last time Villarreal reached the Champions League Semi-Finals, back in 2005/06, they also played an English team in Arsenal but suffered a 1-0 aggregate loss.

These two managers did meet back in the Europa League Final back in 2015/16 when a Sevilla team managed by Emery beat a Liverpool side managed by Klopp during his first campaign with the Merseyside club. It's fair to say that the two head coaches are in two completely different places now. I know I have bet against Villarreal is pretty much every round but I really do think this is where the fairytale ends. Liverpool are possessed at the moment and it's going to take an effort of mammoth proportions involving a fair wedge of luck to see Villarreal get anything from this game.

Liverpool to Win & BTTS @ 3.13 with BetVictor

Anytime Scorer: Luis Diaz @ 2.98 with SBK

[StefanBB]

Liverpool vs Villarreal

Liverpool will be looking for another win after the 2:0 Premier League victory vs Everton. Thanks to that victory, the Reds remained in the title race, being one point behind Manchester City. Three or more goals per game were seen in 5 of the last six fixtures where Liverpool has taken part. Opposing sides scored 8 of them in these games, whereas Liverpool managed to get a total of 17. Mohamed Salah and the lads booked three straight wins, and they head to this clash full of confidence. The Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has zero fitness concerns whatsoever before this clash, with a completely injury-free squad available for selection.

Villarreal goes into this clash following on from a 2:0 La Liga win with the downing of Valencia in their last outing. The  Yellow Submarine extended its unbeatable streak, and they sit in 7^th place in La Liga. Over the course of 5 of the previous six clashes involving Villarreal, a notably low volume of goals have gone in between them and their opponents. The overall average goals scored per game during that spell comes out as a paltry 2, with the number of goals averaged by El Submarino Amarillo being 1.17. Although they are underdogs in this one, nobody should underestimate Villarreal since they have already eliminated Juventus and Bayern Munich. Thanks to a largely full-strength group, there’s just the sole fitness issue for the Villarreal manager Unai Emery to contend with. Alberto Moreno (Cruciate Ligament Rupture) misses out on this game.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction                                                                            

Both teams have been playing excellent lately, and they enter this clash full of confidence. However, Liverpool should meet the expectations here and celebrate a win by at least two goals.

Goals Market Prediction

Villarreal has been pretty disciplined lately, and only two of their last ten matches went over a 2.5 margin. They will be focused on defense in this one, and we don’t think there will be more than two goals in total here.

Liverpool AH -1.5 @ 1.90

Under 2.5 FT @ 2.35

Correct score 2:0 @ 6.50