Liverpool and Real Madrid will square off for the UEFA Champions League title on Saturday, with both teams traveling far to the east to meet in Kiev. Liverpool have won five European Cups, and they knocked out AS Roma in the semifinal round to take on the defending champs. Real Madrid are looking to “threepeat” as champions after hoisting the trophy in 2016 and 2017. Take a look at our soccer odds preview of this matchup of two European powerhouses.
Real Madrid vs Liverpool 2018 UCL Final Preview & Soccer Odds
When: Saturday, May 26, 2018, 2:45pm ETWhere: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, UkraineTV: FOXRadio: NoneLive Stream: FOX Sports GOSoccer Odds: Liverpool +217 / Real Madrid + 128 / O/U 3
Why should you bet on Real Madrid?
If Real Madrid wins on Saturday, it would be their sixth European Cup since 2000. It would also mean the first time one coach (Zinedine Zidane, in this case) has led a squad to three Cups in a row. No other team has made more appearances in the UCL final than Real Madrid, and that sort of experience should pay off big time on the European game’s biggest stage.
Cristiano Ronaldo leads a strong attack — and given Ronaldo’s stated desire to play until the age of 41, we see that his momentum shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. He spent some time with Manchester United, which could motivate him to deliver a big win against his former rivals and against an EPL side. Gareth Bale also delivers on the attack for Real Madrid, and he is finding the ball nicely right now, with five goals in the last four matches that Real played in La Liga. The inexorable offensive pace of this side makes them the favorite — and is one reason why the goal total is as high as it is.
Why should you put your money on Liverpool?
While this would be Liverpool’s fifth title, it would be their first since 2005. They don’t have any players on their roster who have ever appeared in a UEFA Champions League final. You can look at this as evidence that they will enter the game with jitters — but they could also come in with nothing to lose. They have Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Mane leading their own attack, though, so don’t expect Liverpool to suffer on offense. Those three combined for 57 goals in English Premier League play this season, and Salah is the key to getting things going.
The two sides have split their last four matches. Real Madrid won the most recent meeting by a 1-0 score back in 2014, while Liverpool have not beaten Real Madrid in over nine years, as their last win came in March of 2009. If you like Liverpool, then you’re not just looking at an underdog who is looking for a chance to jump back into the glory days of a decade or two ago, though. You’re looking at a team that has a legitimate offensive attack. While they may have finished well behind Manchester City in EPL play, this is just one game, not a long season, and Liverpool have the attackers to make this win a reality.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
With Ronaldo and Gareth Bale on one side, and Mohamed Salah on the other, this is going to be a real battle of offenses, if the game lives up to form. I definitely expect this game to go “over” as two superior attacks square off against one another, and I also see this game coming down to the wire. Real Madrid has the slightly better attackers, though, and I predict that they will prevail by a 3-2 score. If the margin is too razor-thin for you, though, go with that “over” to clean up.
