Champions League Semi-Final Predictions
The draw for the 2016-17 Champions League semi-finals has been made. Spanish rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have been drawn against each other, while AS Monaco will lock horns with Juventus in the other last-eight tie. All four teams have deservedly progressed so far in the competition, and the two semi-final ties promise to be hugely exciting.
Madrid are at home for the first leg of their semi-final clash against city rivals Atletico, while Juventus are away at Monaco in the first leg. Playing the second leg at home is always an advantage, but at this stage of the competition anything is possible. Below, we look at the two ties in detail and predict their outcome.
Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid
Of the four teams left in the competition, Madrid have arguably the best squad. With the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos and Isco going strong, Zinedine Zidane’s side will feel invincible. With Madrid’s odds of winning the Champions League 13/8, it may be worth taking advantage of the latest betting sites offers, such as those compiled by comparison websites, and placing a bet on Los Blancos becoming the first team to successfully defend the title in the current formart. Having got the better of Bayern Munich over two legs in the quarter-finals, Madrid will be brimming with confidence.
Atletico, though, should not be taken lightly. Los Rojiblancos are out of the La Liga title race, but they should comfortably end up in the top four. This means that Diego Simeone’s side will be able to focus on the Champions League a lot more than Madrid, who are facing a challenge from Barcelona for the league title. Atletico will also be on a revenge mission: they lost to Madrid in the finals of the Champions League in 2014 and 2016. Over two legs in the semi-finals, the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Diego Godin and Filipe Luis will feel confident of getting the better of Zidane’s men. However, Madrid will head into the tie as favourites and should be able to progress to the final.
Prediction: Real Madrid to win 3-2 over two legs
AS Monaco v Juventus
AS Monaco have been the surprise package in the Champions League this season. Not many would have expected Leonardo Jardim’s side to even get past the group stage, but they are now just 180 minutes away from playing in the final of Europe’s most prestigious club competition. On their way to the semi-finals, the Ligue 1 outfit got the better of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund. With star striker Radamel Falcao back to his best, Monaco will feel optimistic about their chances against Juventus.
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Juventus have one of the strongest and most balanced squad in entire Europe. With top-class defenders such as Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci and star attacking players like Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala, the Italian champions will head into the tie against Monaco as favourites. Playing the second leg at Juventus Stadium in Turin is also going to be an advantage for Massimiliano Allegri’s side, who reached the final of the competition in 2014-15. Having conceded just two goals in the Champions League all season, Juventus should able to win the tie pretty comfortably.
Prediction: Juventus to win 3-0 over two legs.
