Europe Champions League Semi-finals 27-28. April
- Thread starter spkutano
- Start date
Real Madrid vs Chelsea Preview:
Possible starting lineups:
Real Madrid:
Courtois; Carvajal, Varane, Militao, Nacho; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric; Asensio, Benzema, Vinicius Jr
Chelsea:
Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger; James, Jorginho, Kante, Chilwell; Mount, Werner; Havertz
Real Madrid and Chelsea will play their first-leg match of the Champions League semi-final at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium. This will be only the fourth mutual game between these two sides. Real have failed to win any of those three matches, losing twice. I expect an interesting encounter, though I give some advantage to the Spanish outfit, mostly thanks to their experience. Real are 13-time winners of the competition, the most successful side in Europe. They already eliminated Atalanta, winning 1:0 in Bergamo and 3:1 in Madrid. Los Blancos were also superior against Liverpool in the quarter-finals, winning 3:1 at home. The second-leg match played at Anfield ended with a goalless draw, but my impression was Real fully controlled the game. However, the domestic form isn't at desired level. After the series of four domestic victories (they beat Elche, Celta Vigo, Eibar and Barcelona), Los Blancos dropped four important points on the last three games. Real won against Cadiz, but played goalless draws with Getafe and Betis. These four points, combined with Atletico Madrid's misery, could see them on the top of the table. It is clear Zidane has attacking issues, it is simply unacceptable not to score a single goal on two matches. In addition, the Frenchman has some injury worries ahead of this match. Federico Valverde remains in isolation after testing positive for coronavirus. Defenders Sergio Ramos and Lucas Vazquez are out injured, while Ferland Mendy is rated as doubtful with a calf injury. On the positive note, Dani Carvajal and Raphael Varane are ready. Eden Hazard is also fit and could take part against his former club.
Chelsea were an average team under Frank Lampard, but the things started to improve since Thomas Tuchel was appointed as new manager. The German coach is also successful in the Champions League. Last season he guided PSG to the final where narrowly lost to Bayern Munich. The Blues are inside Top-4 in the Premier League and secured the FA Cup final after beating the best side in England and probably the new champions Manchester City. But most of all, the fans are pleased with the results in the Champions League. Their team managed to eliminate Atletico Madrid and Porto in the previous stages of the competition. The players confidence is very high at the moment. On Saturday Chelsea beat the high-flying West Ham with 1:0 and established a three-point lead over the opponents. The match was overshadowed by yet another controversial VAR decision as Fabian Balbuena caught Chilwell after clearing the ball and was comically given a red card by referee, but who cares. Chelsea are successful in all three competitions and the owner Roman Abramovich could be satisfy. Even more, Tuchel said they will be competitive with Manchester City the next season. Tuchel will try to use the momentum for another success. The German coach has almost all players available ahead of this match, only Mateo Kovacic is sidelined with a hamstring injury. Jorginho and N'Golo Kante will continue to operate the midfield in Kovacic's absence, but there are four (probably more) candidates for three places in attack - Mason Mount, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, and Christian Pulisic.
Real Madrid vs Chelsea Prediction:
There will be some emotional moments as Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois will play against their former teammates. I expect a big tactical battle between Zidane and Tuchel. However, I don't think there will be lot of goals. Both coaches will like to avoid falling behind after the first match. Even more, Real failed to score against Betis during the weekend, while Chelsea have scored just one goal on the last two matches against West Ham and Brighton. I expect no more than two goals.
Real Madrid vs Chelsea Pick: Under 2.5 goals @ 1.68 with SBOBET
Possible starting lineups:
Real Madrid:
Courtois; Carvajal, Varane, Militao, Nacho; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric; Asensio, Benzema, Vinicius Jr
Chelsea:
Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger; James, Jorginho, Kante, Chilwell; Mount, Werner; Havertz
Real Madrid and Chelsea will play their first-leg match of the Champions League semi-final at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium. This will be only the fourth mutual game between these two sides. Real have failed to win any of those three matches, losing twice. I expect an interesting encounter, though I give some advantage to the Spanish outfit, mostly thanks to their experience. Real are 13-time winners of the competition, the most successful side in Europe. They already eliminated Atalanta, winning 1:0 in Bergamo and 3:1 in Madrid. Los Blancos were also superior against Liverpool in the quarter-finals, winning 3:1 at home. The second-leg match played at Anfield ended with a goalless draw, but my impression was Real fully controlled the game. However, the domestic form isn't at desired level. After the series of four domestic victories (they beat Elche, Celta Vigo, Eibar and Barcelona), Los Blancos dropped four important points on the last three games. Real won against Cadiz, but played goalless draws with Getafe and Betis. These four points, combined with Atletico Madrid's misery, could see them on the top of the table. It is clear Zidane has attacking issues, it is simply unacceptable not to score a single goal on two matches. In addition, the Frenchman has some injury worries ahead of this match. Federico Valverde remains in isolation after testing positive for coronavirus. Defenders Sergio Ramos and Lucas Vazquez are out injured, while Ferland Mendy is rated as doubtful with a calf injury. On the positive note, Dani Carvajal and Raphael Varane are ready. Eden Hazard is also fit and could take part against his former club.
Chelsea were an average team under Frank Lampard, but the things started to improve since Thomas Tuchel was appointed as new manager. The German coach is also successful in the Champions League. Last season he guided PSG to the final where narrowly lost to Bayern Munich. The Blues are inside Top-4 in the Premier League and secured the FA Cup final after beating the best side in England and probably the new champions Manchester City. But most of all, the fans are pleased with the results in the Champions League. Their team managed to eliminate Atletico Madrid and Porto in the previous stages of the competition. The players confidence is very high at the moment. On Saturday Chelsea beat the high-flying West Ham with 1:0 and established a three-point lead over the opponents. The match was overshadowed by yet another controversial VAR decision as Fabian Balbuena caught Chilwell after clearing the ball and was comically given a red card by referee, but who cares. Chelsea are successful in all three competitions and the owner Roman Abramovich could be satisfy. Even more, Tuchel said they will be competitive with Manchester City the next season. Tuchel will try to use the momentum for another success. The German coach has almost all players available ahead of this match, only Mateo Kovacic is sidelined with a hamstring injury. Jorginho and N'Golo Kante will continue to operate the midfield in Kovacic's absence, but there are four (probably more) candidates for three places in attack - Mason Mount, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, and Christian Pulisic.
Real Madrid vs Chelsea Prediction:
There will be some emotional moments as Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois will play against their former teammates. I expect a big tactical battle between Zidane and Tuchel. However, I don't think there will be lot of goals. Both coaches will like to avoid falling behind after the first match. Even more, Real failed to score against Betis during the weekend, while Chelsea have scored just one goal on the last two matches against West Ham and Brighton. I expect no more than two goals.
Real Madrid vs Chelsea Pick: Under 2.5 goals @ 1.68 with SBOBET
Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester City Preview:
Possible starting lineups:
Paris Saint-Germain:
Navas; Florenzi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Diallo; Gueye, Paredes; Di Maria, Verratti, Neymar; Mbappe
Manchester City:
Ederson; Walker, Dias, Stones, Cancelo; Rodri, Gundogan, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Silva, Foden
There are lot of similarities between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, but one above all - their Arab owners invested enormous money and they are no more satisfied with domestic titles. It's simple, they want the Champions League trophy, nothing less. Both managers, Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola are feeling enormous pressure, they know how important this match is. Paris Saint-Germain have the home advantage in the first match, but it is clear stadium Parc des Princes is not the fortress that it once was during the days of full stadiums. PSG haven't won any of the two home games played in the Champions League during the knock-out stage. They lost 1:0 to Bayern Munich and played 1:1 with Barcelona. Luckily, they won at Allianz Arena and Nou Camp and secured progress on both occasions. The home issues were also visible in domestic Ligue 1 as main rivals like Monaco and Lille left Paris victoriously. Coach Mauricio Pochettino must find a way to improve the home form. A defeat here will complicate the matters. To be worse, there are some injury worries for the Argentine coach. He was forced to bring Killian Mbappe off the field against Metz on Saturday due to a thigh injury. The 22-year-old striker, who previously scored twice on that match, is rated as doubtful, but the medical team is optimistic. Keylor Navas, Marco Verratti, Marquinhos and Abdou Diallo should face late fitness tests. Rafinha could also recover from back pain to feature, but he is not expected to start. Juan Bernat is the long-term absentee.
As I wrote above, Champions League trophy is extremely important for Pep Guardiola. So far he won everything else, except that one. The dreams of quadruple ended following their FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea two weeks ago, but they will try to secure a treble. The Premier League crown seems already won, it's just a matter of time before they mathematically secured the title. On Sunday Manchester City lift the Carabao Cup after beat Tottenham at Wembley, so they are now fully focused to the most wanted trophy. On the way to the semifinals, Manchester City have eliminated two German outfits with the same name - Borussia. Four wins from four matches surely means something. The Citizens reached the quarter-finals after beating M'Gladbach with 4:0 aggregate victory. However, it wasn't easy against Dortmund in the Round of 4. The Citizens won 2:1 in England, but the Germans had 1:0 after the first 45 minutes in the second-leg match. That result put Dortmund ahead on the away goal rule. But the crucial breakthrough for City came early in the second half as Emre Can was penalized for handling in the box. It was definitely a controversial decision that helped Manchester City. At the same time Dortmund players were furious, as well as their fans. Riyad Mahrez converted the penalty, while Phil Foden secured another win for the Premiership side in the 75th minute. It is the first time Manchester City have reached the semis under current boss Pep Guardiola. Their previous appearance in the semifinals came in the season 2015/16, when they - lead by Manuel Pellegrini - suffered elimination from Real Madrid. For this match Guardiola has a fully fit squad to choose from.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester City Prediction:
Guardiola won the competition twice during his time as Barcelona coach, but this is his first semi-final as Manchester City boss. Pochettino, meanwhile, navigated Tottenham to the final in 2019, but lost 2:0 to Liverpool. It is clear both managers are under enormous pressure from their Arab owners and they will look to turn their fortunes around on Wednesday. I expect an interesting match with goals on both sides. Neymar and Mbappe are capable of breaching almost any defense, while City is like a machine. They managed to score two goals on each of the four matches played on their way to the semi-finals. There should be goals at the stadium Parc des Princes.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester City Pick: Both teams to score - Yes @ 1.59 with Pinnacle
Possible starting lineups:
Paris Saint-Germain:
Navas; Florenzi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Diallo; Gueye, Paredes; Di Maria, Verratti, Neymar; Mbappe
Manchester City:
Ederson; Walker, Dias, Stones, Cancelo; Rodri, Gundogan, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Silva, Foden
There are lot of similarities between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, but one above all - their Arab owners invested enormous money and they are no more satisfied with domestic titles. It's simple, they want the Champions League trophy, nothing less. Both managers, Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola are feeling enormous pressure, they know how important this match is. Paris Saint-Germain have the home advantage in the first match, but it is clear stadium Parc des Princes is not the fortress that it once was during the days of full stadiums. PSG haven't won any of the two home games played in the Champions League during the knock-out stage. They lost 1:0 to Bayern Munich and played 1:1 with Barcelona. Luckily, they won at Allianz Arena and Nou Camp and secured progress on both occasions. The home issues were also visible in domestic Ligue 1 as main rivals like Monaco and Lille left Paris victoriously. Coach Mauricio Pochettino must find a way to improve the home form. A defeat here will complicate the matters. To be worse, there are some injury worries for the Argentine coach. He was forced to bring Killian Mbappe off the field against Metz on Saturday due to a thigh injury. The 22-year-old striker, who previously scored twice on that match, is rated as doubtful, but the medical team is optimistic. Keylor Navas, Marco Verratti, Marquinhos and Abdou Diallo should face late fitness tests. Rafinha could also recover from back pain to feature, but he is not expected to start. Juan Bernat is the long-term absentee.
As I wrote above, Champions League trophy is extremely important for Pep Guardiola. So far he won everything else, except that one. The dreams of quadruple ended following their FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea two weeks ago, but they will try to secure a treble. The Premier League crown seems already won, it's just a matter of time before they mathematically secured the title. On Sunday Manchester City lift the Carabao Cup after beat Tottenham at Wembley, so they are now fully focused to the most wanted trophy. On the way to the semifinals, Manchester City have eliminated two German outfits with the same name - Borussia. Four wins from four matches surely means something. The Citizens reached the quarter-finals after beating M'Gladbach with 4:0 aggregate victory. However, it wasn't easy against Dortmund in the Round of 4. The Citizens won 2:1 in England, but the Germans had 1:0 after the first 45 minutes in the second-leg match. That result put Dortmund ahead on the away goal rule. But the crucial breakthrough for City came early in the second half as Emre Can was penalized for handling in the box. It was definitely a controversial decision that helped Manchester City. At the same time Dortmund players were furious, as well as their fans. Riyad Mahrez converted the penalty, while Phil Foden secured another win for the Premiership side in the 75th minute. It is the first time Manchester City have reached the semis under current boss Pep Guardiola. Their previous appearance in the semifinals came in the season 2015/16, when they - lead by Manuel Pellegrini - suffered elimination from Real Madrid. For this match Guardiola has a fully fit squad to choose from.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester City Prediction:
Guardiola won the competition twice during his time as Barcelona coach, but this is his first semi-final as Manchester City boss. Pochettino, meanwhile, navigated Tottenham to the final in 2019, but lost 2:0 to Liverpool. It is clear both managers are under enormous pressure from their Arab owners and they will look to turn their fortunes around on Wednesday. I expect an interesting match with goals on both sides. Neymar and Mbappe are capable of breaching almost any defense, while City is like a machine. They managed to score two goals on each of the four matches played on their way to the semi-finals. There should be goals at the stadium Parc des Princes.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester City Pick: Both teams to score - Yes @ 1.59 with Pinnacle
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Real Madrid vs Chelsea Pick: Under 2.5 goals @ 1.68 with SBOBET
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