Last week’s first legs in both the Champions League and Europa League were great entertainment, providing goals, twists and some magic from Lionel Messi. That’s exactly what we expect from this stage of the competition, and with so much on the line in the second legs that are coming up this week, hopefully we’re going to be in for at least the same level of excitement.
Real Madrid have a deficit to claw back when they take on Juve, while Bayern Munich have a chasm to traverse against Barcelona. Two sides are about to miss out on the chance to play for the biggest prize in club football, but which two will it be? While we’ve not predicted that, we do have a preview for each of the four semi finals taking place this week from the two competitions, and we have a betting tip for each to help you make a tidy profit.
Tuesday 12th May 2015
Bayern Munich v Barcelona (19:45) – Barcelona to win, draw no bet (Evens with Coral)
The first leg between these two was an incredible spectacle, the first time we’ve really seen either of these sides matched in terms of ability to keep possession. It was a culture shock to both sides, as were Pep Guardiola’s early tactics. In the end, the 3-0 win for Barca looks to be just too much for Bayern to claw back here. They won’t get enough of the ball to post a big score like they have in previous rounds to get them out of jail. Will we see any kind of Bayern fightback here?
We’re backing against it, given how good Barca were on Wednesday, mixed with a little precedent. In the last few years we’ve seen some big second leg home defeats for both these sides. In 2013 Barca were expected to fightback at home after a heavy away defeat to Bayern, but they lost 3-0. It also happened here last term, with Real beating Bayern 4-0 in Germany. We think that trend is going to continue here, with Bayern pushing to get back in and Barca hitting them on the counter attack. Draw no bet is the safe option, while the visitors to win is 9/5 with Coral. If you want to be really risky, Barca -1 is 4/1 with most bookies.
Wednesday 13th May 2015
Real Madrid v Juventus (19:45) – Under 2.5 goals (21/20 with BetVictor)
The first leg in this game was a much tighter affair, and we expect the second leg to go very much the same way. Juventus have a lead here, and they’ll be hell bent on protecting it. They went for the jugular in their win at Dortmund in the last 16, but expect this game to be played out in a very different fashion. They defended for their lives in their quarter final second leg against Monaco, and they’d love a repeat of that.
The Italians are actually not a bad bet to qualify here, since they’re priced at 11/10 with BetVictor. Real haven’t been great at home in the knockout rounds this season, so it’s not hard to see Juve picking up a positive result on Wednesday evening. Serie A may not be at its peak, but that stereotype about Italians grinding out results still has a little truth to it. Whatever happens, Juve will be looking to defend here, while Real will be desperate to stop the visitors from getting an away goal. Under 2.5 looks like the best pick here, and it’s quite well priced.
Thursday 14th May 2015
Dnipro v Napoli (20:05) – Both teams to score (10/11 with BetVictor)
Dnipro’s equaliser in the first leg has made things pretty difficult for Napoli, with the Italian side now down an away goal and needing to go for it in the second leg in Ukraine. Dnipro will probably be pretty happy with that draw, as it has set things up for them nicely in the second leg. They’re still a bit of an unknown quantity, and that might just help them sneak into the final.
They’re actually a very good price to make it through, priced as they are at 6/4 to qualify, which is a big price for a side who have home advantage and an away goal lead as things stand. The one thing to expect here is goals, with Napoli needing to go for this one. They’re not the most reliable at the back, and Europa League ties tend to be very friendly in terms of both teams to score bets. This is a rare time when BTTS is priced close to evens, which makes it a very good value bet.
Fiorentina v Sevilla (20:05) – Sevilla to win, draw no bet (23/20 with Ladbrokes)
This semi final is hardly the most interesting, and it’s pretty tough to get any value. Sevilla ran out 3-0 winners in the first leg, and now they’re heavy favourites to go on and qualify. Both teams to score is also very short here, at 2/3 with Ladbrokes. It looks like a good bet, but it also did in the first leg before Fiorentina drew a blank. It may actually be worth taking no on both teams to score at 13/10 with BetVictor, in case you think Sevilla will just be happy to shut up shop in this one.
It’s hard to see them pushing for it here, they did the hard work in the first leg. They need to see out 90 minutes against an out of form Fiorentina side to book a place in the final, which would give them the chance to retain their trophy. They’re now odds-on to win it, and it’s hard to see them messing up this lead. With Fiorentina struggling in recent fixtures, a Sevilla win in the draw no bet market is our tip. The hosts will pour forward here, and the Spaniards can hurt them on the counter.