Liverpool vs. Real Madrid Champions League Picks, Predictions, Odds
2022-23 UEFA Champions League
Futures Odds
Matchups & Odds
Knockout: Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final
Two significant victories in Liverpool red were timed to perfection in recent weeks. That's not because of the opposition they overcame but because the backdrop to the impending Real Madrid tie is now one imagined with an upturn in performance and a sense of a feel-good factor in its infancy emerging.
On Tuesday, two of the top five contenders in this year's Champions League will go head-to-head with Liverpool welcomes Real Madrid to Anfield for the first leg of their Round of 16 match.
Liverpool vs. Real Madrid Picks & Score Predictions
It's difficult to look at this match-up and not get excited. Liverpool needs to make home advantage count; that's a no-brainer. However, with that front-footed mindset and a defensive unit that still offers fragilities each game, the net may be set to rustle at both ends. If this is the case, the Over 2.5 Goal line priced at -138 is precisely how bookmakers believe the meeting will go.
With two teams that know where the goal is, and two sides with a knack for conceding - this could be an Anfield tie for the ages. The Spaniards approach Tuesday with an unwanted lofty record in La Liga, with 62% (13/21) of matches returning Both Teams To Score for punters.
That's unnerving for a club so dominant as Real Madrid, a nod towards what the Champions League knockouts could expect with -163 the price for each side to score. If I were to hang my hat on a score line between these two European giants, 1-1 at odds of +600 is one I feel has a fair chance of coming to fruition.
Score Predictions:
Liverpool 1 Read Madrid 1 (+600)
Liverpool vs. Real Madrid Best Bets
Instead of match goals and both teams scoring, there may be some value in the player goal scorer markets. Most notably, Darwin Nunez, Liverpool's whirlwind forward up top. The Uruguayan comes into the match on the back of an impressive finish against Newcastle, where he plucked a through ball out of the sky from over his shoulder and arrowed it past Nick Pope into the corner of the net.
Nunez's pace, power and directness will cause issues for Europe's best, so at +210 for him to record another Champions League goal, something he has done on three occasions for Liverpool and six times last season for Benfica - it may prove to be a wise move.
Away from goals completely - the draw at +260 also appears reasonable enough, considering the visitors would take a draw before a ball is kicked in anger. If Liverpool were to take the lead, I wouldn't be confident they'd keep Real Madrid out.
Game Best Bets:
Draw (+260)
Darwin Nunez - Anytime Goal Scorer (+210)
Liverpool vs. Real Madrid Odds
The bookmakers have this as one that could go either way, with Liverpool (+125) as the favorites on the night. The buzz of Anfield on a European night under the bright lights is almost unrivalled. The hallowed turf that has encouraged many a spectacle often channels a script as if Hollywood had taken the reins.
But this isn't Hollywood, and Liverpool aren't at their best, despite recent weeks suggesting otherwise. Fortunately for them, neither are Real Madrid (+200), who lag eight points behind their bitter Catalonia rivals domestically.
Three-Way Match Odds
Liverpool +125
Real Madrid +200
Draw +260
Over 2.5 (-138)
Under 2.5 (+110)
Odds to win Champions League
Liverpool +1000
Real Madrid +1000
Odds to Advance to Quarterfinals
Liverpool +100
Real Madrid -134
Odds Subject to Change - per bet365
Liverpool vs Real Madrid Betting Stats
Liverpool (England)
Group Results: 5-0-1, GF 17 GA 6
After getting humbled 4-1 by Serie A leader Napoli in its Champions League opener, the Reds won their next five group games and only conceded two goals in the wins. Jurgen Klopp and company did get revenge on Napoli at home with a 2-0 victory behind goals from Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez.
Real Madrid (Spain)
Group Results: 4-1-1, GF 15 GA 6
Los Blancos have never failed to advance out of the Champions League group stage and the club kept the streak rolling again. The competition wasn’t tough and it did lose at Red Bull Arena to Leipzig but an aggregate score of 8-1 versus Celtic showed the strength of the La Liga power.
Liverpool Betting Outlook & Players to Watch
Virgil van Dijk's return from injury against Newcastle is exactly what Liverpool's backline has been crying out for, but I suspect his reemergence won't call a halt to some of the defensive mishaps the Premier League has been accustomed to this season. Nevertheless, in a season mired by underperformance and frailties at both ends, The Reds boast the second-fewest goals conceded (9) at home in England's top division.
As previously mentioned, Darwin Nunez, although he has his critics, could be the x-factor that may come up trumps for Liverpool in this season's Champions League campaign. There's a concern that he'll miss the tie due to an injury he suffered against Newcastle, though the early noises from the club appear optimistic. Couple Nunez with Mohamed Salah, a Diogo Jota who is building up minutes post-injury, and Cody Gakpo now finding his feet in Liverpool - it's enough for Reds supporters to start feeling optimistic.
Expect a front three of Nunez- Gakpo - Salah in front of an industrious midfield where youngster Stefan Bajcetic will pit his wits against nothing he has come across yet. Tough-tackling, fearless and perhaps a little naive, I wouldn't be too surprised if he adds to his two yellow cards this season at odds of +300.
Player Prop Best Bet:
Stefan Bajcetic to get a Card (+300)
Real Madrid Betting Outlook & Players to Watch
In a Champions League campaign where many of the top clubs have experienced recent indifferent spells, perhaps Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool has squirmed out of the below-par net at the right moment. Time will tell, as their task couldn't get much more demanding. Real Madrid, European Royalty, in a competition they view as their own.
Regardless of form up until this point, Real Madrid will fancy their chances here, as they always do in UEFA's flagship European competition. Admittedly, they are not quite currently at the heights of what we expect from them domestically, but the Galacticos did ease past Elche and Osasuna to a 6-0 aggregate scoreline - two matches coming straight after the Club World Cup trophy lift in Morocco.
And let's not forget, not long ago; Real Madrid won the battle of Paris in last season's Champions League final. They stopped Liverpool from winning a seventh crown, then. No doubt they'll be confident of continuing such a feat with the talent and experience in the Spanish capital. They'll need Thibaut Courtois to be imperious between the sticks once again whilst Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema run Liverpool's backline ragged at the other end of the pitch.
With Liverpool's defense at sixes and sevens for the majority of the current term, Vinicius Junior, at 22-years-old, may be set to add to his 12 Champions League goals. If that's the case, the +330 will bank quite handsomely.
Player Prop Bet:
Vinicius Junior - Anytime Goal Scorer (+330)
Liverpool vs. Real Madrid Betting Resources
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023
Matchup: Round of 16
Stadium: Anfield
Location: Liverpool, England
TV-Time: Paramount +, 3:00 p.m. ET
Be sure to follow San Ingram on Twitter at @SamIngram_
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