Real Madrid vs Liverpool - Champions League Preview and Odds

Published on: 25/05/2018

Real Madrid vs Liverpool - Champions League Preview and Odds

May 26, 2018 16:30 NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium

Champions League

Real Madrid`s astonishing Champions League record could be enhanced on Saturday when they go head to head with England`s most successful European campaigners.

The Spanish giants will be playing in their 16th final and looking for their third win a row and their 13th win in a competition that that they have dominated in recent years.

Remarkably, Zinedine Zidane`s men havent had a great season away from the Champions League. They only won three of their last eight La Liga matches and finished in third place, 17 points behind champions Barcelona and just three points ahead of fourth-ranked Valencia. They conceded twice as many goals as Atletico Madrid but still managed to find the net 94 times during the campaign. It is their defensive frailties that Liverpool will be hoping to exploit on Saturday.

The Spanish side were also classed by some as fortunate to have prevailed in their semi-final match against Bayern Munich. The German side were dominant for long periods over the two legs but did not take their chances. As a result, Los Blancos progressed thanks to a 4-3 aggregate scoreline.

Liverpool will enter this game full of confidence after defying the odds to reach their eighth European Cup final. They boast one of the most fearsome strike forces in Europe and have sharpened up defensively since January. However, they are still capable of shipping goals under pressure as demonstrated in their epic semi-final showdown against AS Roma. As a result, this game could be won or lost in those key defensive areas.

All eyes will be on Mohamed Salah but Roberto Firmino has had an incredible season and has been key to Liverpool`s European success. He has chipped in with 11 Champions League goals and provided eight assists making him the club`s most effective player during this campaign.

Liverpool`s league form dropped off as their focus turned to this competition but they finished on a high beating Brighton and Hove Albion 4-0 to seal their place in next year`s edition of the competition.

Recent Form (All comps)

Real Madrid: DWLDDW

Liverpool: WLLDWD

Betting odds and tips

The two teams have scored an incredible 70 goals between them in this competition, 40 of those coming from the Reds. With such attacking prowess on both sides and questions marks over both defences, this game promises to be a classic.

As a result, the high score predictions look good value for this match, with Over 3.5 Goals being the choice bet at 11/10. In the goal scorer markets, Roberto Firmino offers the best value at 13/8 to score anytime in the match.

By Neil Morris