- Real Madrid hosts Manchester City for the Champions League first leg round of 16.
- Both Manchester City and Real Madrid are title contenders, leaving sports bettors split on who to take in today’s game.
- Real Madrid is dealing with huge injuries coming into the game.
MADRID, Spain - The UEFA Champions round of 16 first leg continues as Manchester City travels to the Spanish capital to face off against Real Madrid in a mega match between title contenders.
These juggernaut clubs have sports bettors split, as both teams are coming in with long odds to win or draw. Both clubs are suffering with big blows of injuries as well, making this also a match of attrition with neither team having a clear edge.
This matchup is sure to be one of the biggest of the year as these two titans take the field to try and establish early Champions League dominance.
Clash Of The Titans
Manchester City has the best odds to win at +135 odds while Real Madrid has +200 odds to defeat Manchester City and online sportsbooks have +255 odds for the match to end in a draw. The spread also favors Man. City at 0.0 (-145) to Madrid’s 0.0 (+120). The over/under for the match is 2.5 with the over at -120 and the under with EVEN odds.
Manchester City vs. Real Madrid Moneyline Odds:
- Real Madrid +200
- Manchester City +135
- Draw +255
Manchester City has never actually beaten Real Madrid. The clubs have faced each other four times, each match being in the Champions League and ending with a Real Madrid victory.
Real Madrid has also been on a roll as they have won their last four Champions League knockout ties. They have also reached the knockout stages of the Champions League for 23 consecutive seasons, boasting the longest streak in the tournament’s history.
Manchester City is still confident however, knowing the importance of this match and being prepared by manager Pep Guardiola to fight until the end.
"This is the real test. The kings of this competition against one team who aren't used to playing these kind of games much, as our best performance was one semi-final," said Guardiola. "We have to show our personality. I know my players, myself, all the club want to fight until the end for this title.”
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Man. City will be coming into the game without winger Leroy Sane who is out with knee issues and has not even traveled with the team.
Real Madrid is also suffering from injuries, as midfielder Eden Hazard is out with his own ankle injury. This loss is a major blow to Real Madrid as Hazard is a key part of their offense.
Believe In Winning
Despite the injuries, Manchester is still coming into the game with confidence as they recognize that to be a championship contender, you must be able to beat other championship contenders.
"But if you want to do that [win the title] you have to face these teams sooner or later,” Guardiola continued. “You have to beat Madrid, you have to beat Barcelona, you have to beat Bayern Munich. You have to beat the big, big teams.”
Man. City will like to make the most of this season as they will be banned for the next two season due to violating leagues financial fair play regulations.
A thought that isn’t far from the teams mind, with Guardiola saying “If we're able to do it we'll be so happy. If not then next season... well, next season I don't know but when we are able to play, we are going to come back."
The clubs face off today at 3 p.m. EST.
After graduating from Florida State University with a degree in creative writing, Giovanni spent his professional career writing short stories for online journals. Now at USAOnlineSportsbooks, you can find him keeping fans up to date on their favorite teams best betting odds. Giovanni still tries to incorporate his passion for storytelling through the perspective of sports betting.
