Saturday sees the all English Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea in Porto and we take a look at the game from a betting angle.
Manchester City were too strong for PSG in their semi-final winning 4-1 on aggregate and they had previously seen off Dortmund 4-2 over two legs in their quarter-final clash.
Domestically, City had already wrapped up the English Premier League Title before this past weekend’s final fixtures, but they celebrated in style with a thumping 5-0 home win over Everton and their last 3 League games have seen a total of 17 goals scored.
Chelsea were made to work hard by Real Madrid in their semi-final, drawing in Madrid and then getting the better of the Spanish team 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. In their quarter-final they won the first leg on the road against Porto and despite losing at home they won 2-1 on aggregate. They saw off Atletico Madrid 3-0 on aggregate in the last 16. Chelsea’s last 7 European matches have all seen under 2.5 goal backers collect profits.
Domestically Chelsea have run into some wobbly form in the League of late and they have lost 3 of their last 4 games in all competitions, most recently losing 2-1 away at Aston Villa on the weekend.
Given that this is a Final I am going to allow myself a few bets, but first a quick look at the head-to-head records. The sides have met 3 times this season, Chelsea winning 2-1 at Manchester City in the League and Manchester City winning at Chelsea by 3-1 and in the FA Cup Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 in their semi-final.
BETTING – Click here to bet
Manchester City 10/11
Draw 5/2
Chelsea 7/2
Suggested Bet: Manchester City win at 10/11
A couple of weeks ago I was leaning towards Chelsea here, but their form has dipped and I think Manchester City are playing with the composure and confidence that will see them home although I expect a nervy ride.
Additional Bets: Total Goals Aggregate, 2-3 at 9/10
This bet would have arrived in Manchester City’s last 7 Champions League games and would also have landed in 3 out of the last 5 head-to-head meetings between the sides.
First goal Scorer, Mahrez at 25/4
I always enjoy a speculative dabble in this market and have been incredibly impressed with Mahrez this season and he has scored some crucial goals, none will be more crucial than if he grabs the opener in the final.
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
