2021 UEFA Champions League odds, picks: European soccer model reveals best bets for Liverpool vs. Real Madrid
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Real Madrid comes in loaded with confidence as it tries to eliminate Liverpool from the 2021 UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. Real Madrid won the first leg at home 3-1 last Tuesday, and it comes in off a 2-1 win against Barcelona in El Clasico on Saturday. Liverpool is happy to play the second leg at Anfield, but the reigning English Premier League champions have struggled at home in recent months. The Reds had lost six straight in Liverpool before eking out a 2-1 win against Aston Villa on Saturday. Liverpool has dealt with injury issues all season, while Real Madrid comes in healthy and with tons of experience.
Kickoff from Liverpool, England is set for 3 p.m. ET. Liverpool is a 0.5-goal and -104 money-line favorite in the latest Real Madrid vs. Liverpool odds at William Hill Sportsbook, and the over-under for total goals scored is 3.5. Before you lock in your Liverpool vs. Real Madrid picks, be sure to see the UEFA Champions League predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proprietary European soccer model.
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Created by two Norwegians — professional poker player and sports bettor Jonas Gjelstad, and economics and engineering expert Marius Norheim — the model analyzes worldwide betting data and exploits market inefficiencies, helping its followers cash in. Since coming to SportsLine in 2019, the algorithm is up over $8,200.
Now, the model has set its sights on Liverpool vs. Real Madrid. You can visit SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several odds and trends for Real Madrid vs. Liverpool:
Latest Odds: Liverpool -0.5
Why you should back Liverpool
The Reds will be desperate to close the gap, and they have firepower up front to score quickly. Mohamed Salah is the top option, sharing the Premier League lead with 19 goals, and he has six in nine Champions League matches. The Egyptian teams up with Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota to form a potent trio. Jota has 12 goals between the two competitions, while Mane has 10 and shares the team lead in league play with five assists.
Striker Roberto Firmino often has a heavy hand in the action up front as well, and he has six goals and five assists in the Premier League this season. He has been quiet in the UCL and is due to break out. Ozan Kabak was brought in to join Nathaniel Phillips as the center backs, and both are quality defenders learning to complement each other. Reds goalkeeper Alisson was named FIFA’s best in 2019 and has four clean sheets in his six Champions League starts. Liverpool has allowed just six goals in nine UCL matches, third-fewest in the competition.
Why you should back Real Madrid
Los Blancos have plenty of veterans, but manager Zinedine Zidane has been adding hungry young players to the mix, and his tactics have been taking advantage of the talent. His recent approach has been to sit back and turn away all challenges while countering quickly and efficiently. He has just the players to pull it off, with Toni Kroos launching precision long balls and Luka Modric also having the vision to exploit open space. They are the top two in pass attempts and complete more than 90 percent in the UCL, and each had an assist in the first leg.
Veteran Karim Benzema and 20-year-old Vinicius Junior give them dangerous scoring options, and Vinicius found the back of the net twice in last week’s match. Benzema scored against Barcelona on Saturday and has 19 goals in La Liga (tied for second) and six in the Champions League. Real Madrid has not lost in its last 13 matches, winning six straight while outscoring opponents 15-5.
How to make picks for Real Madrid vs. Liverpool
The model is leaning under on the goal total, and it also has locked in a strong money-line pick for Liverpool vs. Real Madrid. You can only get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Liverpool vs. Real Madrid? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Real Madrid vs. Liverpool money line has all the value, all from the proprietary European soccer model that’s up over $8,200.