Champions League semi-final betting is right around the corner with the action in the final four kicking off on April 27th.
The competition has wound its way to the high-pressure stage then, of the final four teams jostling for a place in the showcase match.
With Chelsea and Manchester City on opposite sides of the draw, there could be an all-English final to look forward to.
But they both have to overcome some significant challenges for that to happen.
Table of Contents
Champions League Winner Odds
Manchester City @ 6/4
PSG @ 11/4
Real Madrid @ 7/2
Chelsea @ 7/2
* (odds recorded on April 21st, 2021 at 02:10 GMT at Betfred)
Champions League Semi-Finals Preview
First legs
Real Madrid vs Chelsea (Tuesday 27 April)
Paris vs Manchester City (Wednesday 28 April)
Second legs
Manchester City vs Paris (Tuesday 4 May)
Chelsea vs Real Madrid (Wednesday 5 May)
Real Madrid v Chelsea
Chelsea will need to be at their defensive best for the first leg of this tie. They head to Spain and they are the underdogs at 11/5 to get the win on the night.
It is a W7 D2 L1 record that Chelsea have put together in this season’s tournament, cruising through the group stage.
They faced a tough draw in the Round of 16 as they were up against Atletico Madrid, but Chelsea cruised past their opponents 3-0 on aggregate.
The Blues were surprisingly untested in that tie, producing tactical brilliance and defensive qualities.
In the quarter-finals, they banked a 2-1 aggregate win over Porto.
It has been just two defeats for Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel, who guided PSG to last season’s Final which they lost against Bayern Munich.
A positive is that Tuchel is undefeated from six previous fixtures against Spanish opposition (D3 D3).
Chelsea’s previous title did come after having changed managers in mid-season, claiming the 2012 title under the guidance of Roberto Di Matteo.
Chelsa have played 12 previous two-legged ties against Spanish opposition and have taken a W5 L7 record from those.
Their record in the away legs of ties against Spanish teams is only W3 D4 L5.
Real Madrid held off the challenge of Liverpool in the last round, doing all the damage at home in the first leg with a 3-1 victory.
This is the first time since 2018 that Real Madrid have been in the final four of the competition.
There is a quote of 5/4 in Champions League betting on them earning a first-leg advantage* (odds recorded on April 21st, 2021 at 02:10 GMT at Betfred).
Real Madrid’s victory over Liverpool in the last round took them to a W9 L5 record in two-legged ties against English teams. They have won four of the last five.
An interesting statistic though is that Real Madrid have claimed a win in just 5 of their last eleven European home games (D2 L4).
To Qualify Odds: Real Madrid 4/5, Chelsea 19/20
* (odds recorded on April 21st, 2021 at 02:10 GMT at Betfred)
PSG v Manchester City
Manchester City are the tournament outright favourites for this season’s Champions League @ 6/4 odds* (odds recorded on April 21st, 2021 at 02:10 GMT at Betfred).
They will head to Paris first in this semi-final tie against PSG.
The Citizens got through the Group Stage of this season’s competition with the best defensive record, conceding just once.
In the Round of 16, they got through untroubled against Borussia Monchengladbach before seeing off more German opposition in the form of Borussia Dortmund in the quarter finals.
So this is the first time that Manchester City have been back to the semi-finals since 2016.
They are a quote of 13/10 to pick up the win in the first leg, which of course, would set them up brilliantly* (odds recorded on April 21st, 2021 at 02:10 GMT at Betfred).
Manchester City’s knockout record against French opposition is W1 L2.
They did visit France in the group stage, taking a win at Marseille, giving them their only success in France from four attempts (D2 L1).
The overall match record that Manchester City have against French clubs is W4 D3 L3.
PSG took out Barcelona on a 5-2 aggregate in the Round of 16, impressively getting past the Spaniards.
That put them through to a quarter-final tie against Bayern Munich, who beat them in last season’s final.
But PSG did get revenge with an away goal win after a 3-3 aggregate draw.
PSG picked up away wins in both legs of those ties against Barca and Bayern and so they really pose a huge threat if they are still in touch after the first leg of this tie.
It’s been a big recovery from the French champions this season, as they lost two of their first three games in this season’s competition.
This is also another rematch between Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino, the latter winning just 3 of the previous 18 meetings (D5 L10).
To Qualify Odds: Man City 8/15, PSG 11/8
* (odds recorded on April 21st, 2021 at 02:10 GMT at Betfred)
