This week sees the penultimate round of European fixtures of the campaign, as the Champions League and Europa League reach the semi-final stage. Both of Europe’s competitions are down to the final four, which leaves eight sides hoping to end the season with continental silverware. But, just who will claim the advantage in the first legs of the semi-finals?
The Champions League sees both Madrid sides in action over the two nights. Manchester City host Real on Tuesday, while favourites Bayern are Atletico bound on Wednesday. Liverpool fly the flag for the Premier League in the Europa League on Thursday night. They need to find a way past Villarreal to book a place in the Basel final. How will they fare in their first leg in Spain? We’re looking ahead to all four semis, and we’ve got betting tips for each.
Tuesday 26th April 2016
Manchester City v Real Madrid (19:45) – Over 1.5 Madrid goals (Evens with Coral)
Manchester City’s first Champions League semi-final sees them hosting 10 time winners Real Madrid. That pits boss Manuel Pellegrini up against his former club, adding extra spice to this clash. Few expected City to make it this far, and Laurent Blanc called them guests in the semis. But with City exceeding expectations, just how far can they go? They aren’t too far from making the final in Milan, which would be Pellegrini’s dream sign-off at the club. Can he guide his men to a shock win over Los Blancos?
City’s main problem is their dodgy back line, a problem which they overcame against PSG. They put in a solid display at the back against the French champions, but this is a huge step up. Zlatan and co is one challenge, but facing Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale is likely to trouble this City side. They know they need to push forward in this first leg, which will leave gaps for the Spaniards to exploit. We’re backing them to score over 1.5 goals, which is evens with Coral.
Wednesday 27th April 2016
Atletico Madrid v Bayern Munich (19:45) – Atletico to win (19/10 with Sky Bet)
Fresh from knocking out tournament favourites Barcelona, Atletico Madrid now host new favourites Bayern Munich. Can they repeat their quarter final heroics here, or will this be a winning return to Spain for Pep Guardiola? The Bayern boss came to Bavaria expecting to deliver European glory, but this is his last shot at doing that before he heads to Man City in the summer. To achieve that he has to guide his way past Diego Simeone’s side, a team who are built to frustrate the likes of Bayern.
They boast one of the best defences in the world, and that makes this a tough test for the Germans. Guardiola’s men haven’t been at their best in their last few European outings, drawing 2-2 at Juventus and Benfica. We can’t see Atletico conceding twice here, even against a side like Bayern. If the Bundesliga champions play that badly here, they’d be very lucky to escape the Calderon with a draw. Atletico will punish them if they have an off day and we’re backing the Madrid side to take the advantage on home soil. They’re almost 2/1 for a big win, and that’s our pick here.
Thursday 28th April 2016
Villarreal v Liverpool (20:05) – Villarreal to win (11/8 with Betfair)
Liverpool had one of their greatest nights in the quarter finals against Borussia Dortmund. Having knocked out the favourites, just how far can the Reds go? Not only does Jurgen Klopp have a chance of winning silverware in his first season, he could also get them into the Champions League. There’s a group stage spot open to the winner of this competition, so going all the way here would be a massive boost to his first Anfield season. He’d basically have matched all of Brendan Rodgers’ achievements and then some in a short spell at the club.
The Reds do face a tough task this week, as Villarreal are a strong side. They’re fourth in La Liga, and they recently fought back from 2-0 down against Barcelona. While they aren’t desperate for the Champions League place on offer like their rivals, they will want the silverware. At this stage of the competition, there are no half measures from any of these teams. We’re going for a victory for the Yellow Submarine here, as they are very well priced to triumph at their own ground. They’re 11/8 with Betfair to take a first leg advantage, after losing just twice in their last 20 home games.
Shakhtar Donetsk v Sevilla (20:05) – Over 2.5 goals (Evens with Sky Bet)
Shakhtar Donetsk face a tough task against Sevilla, a side who are looking to complete a hat-trick of Europa League victories. The Spaniards are in danger of missing out on Europe altogether in the league, so they need to win this tournament to get back into the Champions League next term. They have a fantastic recent record at this level, but will they be able to keep that up? This is the draw they would have wanted, especially with the first leg away from home, and that means that the Ukrainians are really up against it.
The bright light for them is Sevilla’s awful away record. While that hasn’t bothered them so much in this competition, it has blighted their domestic hopes. The main reason why they haven’t been in the top four is because they can’t perform on the road. That’s put us off backing them to win here, so we’re going for goals instead. Europa League ties tend to be full of them, and neither of these two are great at the back, although they are able to score a goal or two. Over 2.5 goals is evens with Sky Bet and that seem like the value bet on this one.
See also:
- BTTS tips (26th to 28th April)
- Acca tips (26th to 28th April)