Prediction & odds for the game: Real Madrid (13/10) v Chelsea (21/10) – ST is backing the home win

When: Tuesday, 27th April @ 8pm K.O

Where: Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium

Real Madrid and Chelsea will meet this week in the first leg of their enticing UEFA Champions League semi-final tie.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid may still be fighting for their lives in the La Liga title race, but we still think a big part of their focus is going on the Champions League right now. Zinedine Zidane knows what it takes to win this competition and continually pours everything he’s got into doing so, which will likely be the case in the next few weeks. They’ve got the squad necessary to get it done and they shouldn’t really be fearing anyone at this stage.

Real went out there and made a statement against Liverpool with an emphatic 3-1 win in the first leg, to the point where they just had to ride out the storm in the second. Sure, the Reds missed an early chance that could’ve handed them the keys to the comeback castle, but Madrid were solid enough at the back and had the right game plan.

Chelsea

Thomas Tuchel isn’t the finished product as Chelsea manager and nobody is going to sit around pretending like he is, but in equal measure, he’s clearly made this Blues side far smarter than they were before. They just have a real confidence to their play as well as composure, and the big question now is whether or not they have the talent necessary to compete with Real over two legs. The short answer is yes, but the long answer is a bit more complicated.

The first leg against Porto was another smooth outing for Chelsea but the second created a bit more anxiety than anyone would’ve liked. Sure, the Portuguese giants didn’t score until it was too late, but throughout the entire 90 minutes there was always a sense that one mistake could unravel all of the good work they’d done. Still, that didn’t happen, and now they’re in the final four.

Conclusion

There’s always a layer of tension in the air heading into a big semi-final and that’s most certainly going to be the case for this first leg. Both teams have shown they’ve got what it takes to produce a mature and accomplished performance but for whatever reason, we just think Real’s experience in these situations will be enough to edge them over the finish line. It’ll still be close, but it may not provide us with the entertainment value we’re all seeking.

Our official scoreline prediction is 1-0 Real Madrid, ensuring we stick to the under 2.5 goals bracket.

Verdict: Back the home win at odds of 13/10 and the under 2.5 goals scored at odds of 4/6 (All odds are taken from bet365).

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If you want to bet on Real Madrid vs Chelsea then head on over to the betting page. Alternatively, you can check out some of the other available fixtures on the soccer predictions page as this season’s Champions League drama continues.