All roads lead to Paris and the Stade de France has the honor of staging the Champions League final on May 28. This will be the third time that the stadium has hosted the final of Europe’s biggest club competition and it promises to be an unmissable event.
Two giants battle it out
Liverpool will lock horns with Real Madrid in a repeat of the 2018 Final where Loris Karius made a huge howler and Gareth Bale scored a stunning overhead kick. The Reds have a score to settle, but there are a few stats that stand out as we gear up for the Final:
- Liverpool have netted 30 times in the Champions League this season – only Bayern Munich have scored more (31).
- The Merseysiders do however match Bayern for possession stats (60.1%) on average per game.
- Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is aiming to become the first coach to win the Champions League on four occasions.
- Karim Benzema needs to score twice to match Cristiano Ronaldo’s best return for goals (17) in a Champions League campaign.
The Champions League has witnessed many fabulous moments over the years. Perhaps the iconic music that blares out only heightens the sense of drama and it is a great competition for those who like to indulge in online sports betting. With that in mind, we have picked out a few key markets for you to explore ahead of the Final.
Check out the highlights from the Semi Finals
Liverpool in seventh heaven
Liverpool have left an indelible mark on the Champions League and they are one of the most successful sides in the competition, with six titles to their name. Victory in Paris would see them secure their seventh Champions League crown and move them level with Italian giants AC Milan. Jurgen Klopp’s ‘mentality monsters’ will arrive in the French capital next week knowing whether they will be hoping to wrap up a treble or complete an unprecedented quadruple. Either way, it has been a fabulous season to date and there is constant debate over whether this is the best Reds side either.
There are a couple of question marks over the fitness of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, but Klopp has strength in depth. Liverpool won’t want to force their hand too early and Real are the sort of side that will gift you chances.
This could be Liverpool’s year again and SugarHouse is offering rather short odds of -182 for the Merseyside outfit to be crowned champions.
Sadio Mane to deliver once again
Although Mane had a reprieve in the FA Cup Final when he missed his spot-kick against Chelsea, the Senegalese hitman has been resplendent throughout the campaign and he is a man for the big occasion.
He will be looking to get in behind the Los Blancos defense at every opportunity and Real have flattered to deceive at times. Real’s defense may have pace with the likes of Ferland Mendy, but they probably lack the tactical nous of Real teams of yesteryear. Mane has been a sharp shooter netting 25 times for club and country at the time of writing, but the only criticism you can level at him, is that he tends to put away the harder opportunities and spurn the easy openings.
Regardless, Mane is too good to keep quiet and he will be a handful. If you fancy for him to open the scoring, then you can get odds of +600 with SugarHouse which in many respects, looks like good value.
Alisson could be in for a quiet evening
Maybe we have been a bit hard on Real, but while they are looking to add a 14th Champions League title to their bulging trophy cabinet, the La Liga champions have found themselves in a couple of tight sessions. Against Chelsea in the quarter-final, Real looked to have sewed up the tie after the first leg, but the Blues came up just short in the Bernabeu. And against Manchester City in the semi-final, Real lost 4-3 in one of the most thrilling Champions League contests at the Etihad, but they had just enough to get over the line.
Yes, Benzema has been on a whole new level this season and his form would suggests he has elevated himself on a near-even par with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but he could fire blanks and have a tough evening, especially when you consider how integral Alisson has been to Liverpool’s success this season.
The total goals Over/Under section is always worth investigating and you can get a price of +120 for Under 3.5 shots on target including extra time for Real Madrid with SugarHouse.
