Champions League Final Betting Preview
The Champions League is reaching fever pitch as we edge towards the ultimate decider – Liverpool or Real Madrid? As two sets of ambitious players go head-to-head in the final, only one will claim the title of being Europe’s best soccer club (the purists in us know the purist in you is screaming “football!”, but the non-purist readers do appreciate the distinction).
If Liverpool live on, they will move up into second place in the list of most Champions League clubs. They’ll also extend their lead as the most successful English club in continental competitions, with more titles than Manchester United, Chelsea, and Aston Villa combined.
If Real Madrid keep it real, and manage to overcome their scouse rivals, they’ll pour another slab of cement over their position as the most successful club in the history of European football. Going into this year’s final, Spain’s best club has already won the Champions League 13 times, the same as the second and third-placed teams combined.
This year, the upcoming final will take place on neutral ground on Saturday, May 28 at the Stade de France, north of Paris. We’re just a few days out, and the glory could go to either side. Let’s see who’s the most likely to claim it.
With two of the biggest and most successful clubs in European soccer taking part, we can be sure that it’ll be an exciting 90 (or more) minutes. With just days to go before kick-off in France, Bodog is on top of our game with the most up to date Champions League final odds.
Liverpool (-125)
Liverpool have enjoyed a resurgence in recent years after Jurgen Klopp took over as manager. In that time, the club has gone from scrapping over fourth or fifth in the Premier League to challenging Manchester City for the title.
The Reds won the Champions League for the sixth time in June 2019 after beating fellow English side, Tottenham Hotspur. The following season, they broke a 30-year drought to win the Premier League and have remained in contention every season since.
In just the last few weeks, Liverpool have won the FA Cup and EFL Cup in England and finished second in the Premier League, so it’s clear they’re riding high at the top of their game, and Klopp’s men will be confident going into the Champions League final.
Here at Bodog, we’re currently giving Liverpool Champions League final odds of -125, making them the favourite to win. However, that figure is also reflective of how close the match is expected to be. The spread is just 0.5, indicating that the game will likely finish with the Reds a solitary goal up on their Spanish opponents.
The Reds don’t have it all their way, however. Real Madrid are tough opponents and they’ve always been a challenge for Liverpool. They’ve met on eight occasions previously, and the Spanish side have had slightly more success, with four wins to Liverpool’s three, and another match ending in a draw.
With just one win less than Real Madrid, the record for Liverpool doesn’t look too bad. When you look a bit closer, however, you might see reason for Klopp to be concerned. His team haven’t beaten Real Madrid since 2009, and the best they’ve currently managed was a 0-0 draw last year.
Despite that, the Reds are currently unbeaten in the Champions League this season and appear to be going strong, except for one glaring concern – injuries.
There have been question marks over Fabinho, Joe Gomez, Virgil Van Dijk, and most worryingly, Mo Salah. If all four are out of action, it could be game over for Liverpool. That said, Reds fans will be comforted by the fact that Salah featured in the match against Wolves last weekend and Van Dijk was waiting on the bench just in case his services were required.
Real Madrid (+105)
Although facing the music as underdogs with +105 Champions League final odds, Real Madrid are a team that only the unserious would take unseriously. They’ve built a years-long reputation, as home to some of the best players throughout the football world, for being formidable opponents, and the 2021/22 season is a case in point.
At home, they’ve cleaned up in La Liga, finishing the season with a very comfortable margin ahead of second-place Barcelona.
Like Liverpool, the team has won more than one trophy this year as well. In addition to La Liga, they’ve also been victorious in the Supercopa de España, and made it to the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.
Madrid are also contending with a couple of injuries that may or may not prove to be disadvantageous. David Alaba has been out of action since the beginning of the month after having trouble with his adductors, an inner-thigh injury, while Miguel Gutierrez has missed nine matches since the end of March due to a meniscal injury that required minor surgery. Both are expected to be back on duty for the Champions League game, but where uncertainty lingers, so, too, do endless hypotheticals.
This coming match will mark the first time that Real Madrid have faced Liverpool since June last year, which coincided with Carlo Ancelotti stepping into his new role as the team’s manager following a strained departure from Everton. The former Italian player and recent record-breaker (as the first manager ever to score a first-division win in all top five European leagues), is no stranger to the Merseyside competition; nothing but a stroll through Stanley Park separates Everton’s home ground from Liverpool’s.
Of course, Everton and Real Madrid are as different as Carling and Cava. The former sank to the ground floor of this year’s Premier League table, while the Spanish powerhouse has continued to rise. But back to the great Ancelotti, who is in his own elite league of coaches, along with the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Sir Alex Ferguson. During his time at Everton, he faced off against Klopp on four occasions, losing the first 1-0, drawing the following two, and winning the fourth. He has possibly, as a result, worked out Liverpool’s weaknesses and how to exploit them, something he could put into practice this Saturday.
The Champions League final is always an adrenaline-soaked affair, and with these two legendary teams going head-to-head, you can bet there’ll be fireworks on the field. To get a piece of the action for yourself before the final unfolds, play Bingo Goal at Bodog and channel the magic penalty kicking power of Liverpool’s James Milner as you shoot your way to prizes in the casino game.
Then grab your winnings, and settle in. It could be a real nailbiter, which means plenty of interesting betting opportunities are ripe for the picking.
While Liverpool and Madrid are the hot shots in Paris, Hot Drop Jackpots are the talk of the town here at Bodog. With hourly, daily and super jackpots needing to be won, they are sure to take the casino world by storm.
Back to the soccer, and such a big event shouldn’t be enjoyed alone. Our Refer-a-Friend bonus allows you to share the action with your loved ones, while receiving additional funds for every person you refer to sign up. More and more people are depositing and playing via crypto, with bitcoin betting one of the safest and most secure ways of enjoying the action here at Bodog.