Real Madrid vs Man City Champions League Semi-Final Betting Tips

7th May 2023

Real Madrid are the most successful team in European football history. Their record tally of 21 European trophies includes 14 European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles, two UEFA Cups, and five UEFA Super Cups. By comparison, Manchester City have a solitary European trophy in their cabinet; the Cup Winners Cup won way back in the 1969/70 season. How the Etihad faithful would love to see their team win their first ever Champions League this season.

They have been getting closer over the last eight seasons. In that time, they have made it to one final – losing to Chelsea – three quarter-finals, and this will be their third semi-final appearance. The bad news for City fans, is that on both of those occasions, it was Real Madrid who were their conquerors. Last season, in a thrilling encounter at the Etihad, Manchester City ran out 4-3 winners over Real Madrid. But back at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid overcame the English side, winning by 3 goals to 1 to take an aggregate victory of 6-4.

However, this time the outcome might well be different. For one thing, Real Madrid do not look quite the force of old. Last season they won La Liga by a margin of 13 points over second placed Barcelona. This season they are 14 points behind Barcelona with 5 games to go, and lie in third place, a point behind Atletico Madrid.

Real Madrid v Manchester City Match Winner Market

Real Madrid 11/5 (Coral)

Draw 11/4 (Bet365)

Manchester City 23/20 (Coral)

(Please note all odds are correct at time of article publishing)

Then we come to Manchester City themselves. For all the beautiful football they have played under Pep Guardiola, they sometimes seemed to miss that final cutting edge. And the ability to mix things up a little, with a variation of attacks. Step forward Erling Haaland.

When he signed for the club, the fans were understandably overjoyed and firmly believed he may be the last piece of the jigsaw. But nobody could have foreseen quite what an impact he would have. On Wednesday night, his goal against West Ham – a beautiful little dink over the keeper – saw him break the record for number of goals scored in a Premier League season. That was previously jointly held by Alan Shearer, who scored 34 goals in 42 appearances in the 1994-95 season for Blackburn Rovers, and Andy Cole who notched 34 in 40 in the 1993-94 season for Newcastle United. Haaland already has 35 goals in just 32 games, a quite extraordinary feat. He has a total of 51 goals in 46 games. He has a potential 8 games to break yet another record, that of Dixie Dean, who hit 63 goals in the 1927/28 season to establish himself as the highest goalscorer in English football, in a single season.

Of course, Real Madrid still have very dangerous players. And the 14 times winners nearly always seem to step it up in the Champions League, regardless of what their league form looks like.

Manchester City are a very short price of just 23/20 to get the win at the Bernabeu, which shows the relative form of both teams this season, and perhaps the value lies in other markets.

With the firepower of both sides, the Man City win and both teams to score market looks tempting. BetFred go 11/4 for that very outcome.

Match Result and Both Teams To Score Market

Real Madrid and Yes 4/1 (Coral)

Real Madrid and No 5/1 (Bet365)

Draw and Yes 7/2 (Bet365)

Draw and No 14/1 (Bet365)

Man City and Yes 11/4 (BetFred)

Man City and No 3/1 (Bet365)

Real Madrid are fresh from winning the Copa del Rey on Saturday night, while Manchester City beat Leeds earlier on in the day, both games ending 2-1. Madrid still have Ferling Mendy out with a calf injury, and their Brazilian centre-back, Eder Militao will miss the first leg due to a suspension. Meanwhile, Nathan Ake is a major doubt for City after limping off against Leeds with a hamstring injury. Cole Palmer also seems set to miss out.

Man City have lots of players other than Haaland capable of scoring goals; Riyad Mahrez (15), Julian Alvarez (15), Phil Foden (14) and Kevin de Bruyne (9) all score plenty of goals too.

In Karim Benzema (22) and Vincius Jr (19) Real Madrid have two of the most potent goalscorers in world football. Rodrygo (12), Federico Valverde (12) and Marco Asensio (11) all chip in with plenty of goals too.

The First Goalscorer Market could be tempting, but we prefer to play it safer here with the Anytime Goalscorer Market.

Anytime Goalscorer Market (Selected)

Betting Recommendations

 Haaland to score anytime 10/11 (Bet365)

Man City to win and BTTS 11/4 (BetFred)

Man City to win 2-1 8/1 (Bet365)