Tuesday generally brings a very weak betting offer; however, this day brings us the first semifinal match of this year’s edition of the Champions League, in which Bayern Munich will host Real Madrid in Munich, and it’s very likely that we’ll witness a true spectacle. The kickoff for this encounter between the German and Spanish representatives is scheduled for 9 p.m.
Bayern Munich: “Big-Eared” trophy to salvage the season, but how realistic is it?
Before the start of the season, Bayern Munich was considered one of the main contenders to win all possible trophies, especially since this team secured their eleventh consecutive Bundesliga title in the last round of the previous season. However, things didn’t start as everyone expected. Namely, the Bavarians suffered a convincing defeat in the Super Cup final against Leipzig, where the popular Bulls won 3-0, hinting at what would be one of the weakest seasons in the last two decades for the German giant.
Despite some unexpected setbacks, Bayern’s squad, under Thomas Tuchel, played fairly well in the first half of the season, albeit with a tolerable gap behind Leverkusen, who also performed strongly in the championship’s early stages. Just when things seemed somewhat normal, Munich suffered an early elimination from the German Cup for the second consecutive year, this time by third-division side Saarbrucken. This raised doubts about Thomas Tuchel’s future, and who knows how things would have ended if the management of the most decorated German club had decided to part ways with the Champions League-winning coach from Chelsea.
Regardless, Bayern Munich showed all their weaknesses in the second half of the season, which Leverkusen was quick to exploit, clinching their first Bundesliga title in history. This occasion led to massive celebrations on the streets of Leverkusen. At this point, Bayern sits in second place on the table, twelve points behind leaders Leverkusen. In the previous round, they secured a victory at home against Eintracht Frankfurt with a score of 2-1. The overall impression is that Thomas Tuchel’s team didn’t impress much in that match, but three points were eventually secured, allowing Bayern to extend their lead over third-placed Stuttgart to five points. This should provide a sufficient cushion to maintain their second position on the table and consequently secure the runner-up title, which will undoubtedly be a small consolation for all the fans of the club.
In their last five matches in the top tier of German football, Bayern have achieved three victories and suffered two defeats, one of which occurred at home against their arch-rivals Dortmund, with a score of 0-2. The only competition where the most decorated German club has shone without a doubt is the Champions League. The German representative performed quite well in the group stage, finishing at the top, and then managed to eliminate Lazio despite losing the first leg at the Olimpico. Following that, they also defeated Arsenal, who have been performing at a very high level this season.
The general impression is that knocking out Real Madrid will undoubtedly require Bayern’s best performance of the season, with the acknowledgment that the German giant has faced significant problems at home this year. Regarding absences, Thomas Tuchel, who will leave the Munich team’s bench at the end of this season, will be without De Ligt, Coman, Lainer, Boa, Marusic, Sara, and Bühmann, while the participation of Musiala, Sane, Upamecano, and Gnabry is highly questionable.
Real Madrid: Madridistas the top favorite for winning the Champions League!
Last season wasn’t particularly successful for the Madridistas, who only secured a trophy in the Copa del Rey after triumphing over Osasuna. However, it was truly challenging to expect the most decorated European club to replicate the season before, when they clinched trophies in the Champions League, La Liga, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup.
All this showed that Carlo Ancelotti’s return to the Spanish capital wasn’t a mistake, and as things stand now, this season will bring a lot of joy to all the fans of the royal club. First and foremost, it’s worth noting that the Madridistas have already secured one trophy, the Spanish Super Cup, where they demolished their arch-rival, Barcelona, in the final with a convincing 4-1 victory. The match left the general impression that Real could have achieved an even more emphatic win.
The only competition where Carlo Ancelotti’s team fell short was the Copa del Rey, as they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by their city rivals, Atletico Madrid. However, considering their success in the same competition last season, it’s evident that the Copa wasn’t a priority, at least for this season.
The focus is primarily on La Liga, especially since last season, Barcelona clinched their first title after four years, and now, several rounds before the end, it’s safe to say that Real is the new champion of Spain. At the moment, the royal club has a whopping eleven-point lead over second-placed Barcelona. In the previous round, the Madridistas secured a victory in a challenging away game against Real Sociedad with a score of 1-0. Carlo Ancelotti used that match to rest his key players for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich.
It’s worth reminding that before that, the royal club celebrated a victory at home in El Clasico against Barcelona with a 3-2 scoreline, with the decisive goal scored by Bellengema in the final moments of the match.
Finally, it’s well known that the Spanish representative consistently reaches the latter stages of the Champions League, and this time is no exception. The Madridistas finished the group stage with a perfect record in a relatively easy group alongside Napoli, Union Berlin, and Braga.
In the round of 16, they faced a tough challenge against Leipzig, but they managed to advance. In the quarter-finals, they likely witnessed a pre-final showdown, facing Manchester City. The first leg at Santiago Bernabeu ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw, in what was arguably the best match of the Champions League so far. In the second leg, the most decorated European club emerged victorious after a penalty shootout, setting up a two-legged tie with Bayern Munich.
Carlo Ancelotti has far fewer injury concerns compared to his counterpart at Bayern, and the Italian coach will be without Carvajal, who is suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, while Courtois and Alaba are injured for this encounter.
Our Betting Suggestions
At first glance, we can see that this is a very challenging match to predict. However, we truly believe that Real Madrid is a strong favorite in this two-legged tie, and the team led by the legendary Carlo Ancelotti will demonstrate this already in this first leg. Therefore, we boldly advise you to bet on Real Madrid to Win, for which the betBonanza bookmaker has prepared odds of 2.95.
On Friday, the Italian coach preserved almost all the key players for what lies ahead tonight, meaning that the key players are rested and fully focused for the most important match of the season so far. Despite the stakes being high, we expect a match with plenty of goals, and there’s a good chance that the royal club will score two or more. Therefore, the ideal prediction is to bet on Real Madrid total OVERÂ 1.5 Goals, offered by the betBonanza bookmaker at odds of 2.45.
As we’ve already mentioned, we anticipate plenty of goals, which is why we courageously recommend trying your luck with the bet on Total OVERÂ 3.5 Goals, for which the betBonanza bookmaker has set fantastic odds of 2.85.
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