Here are your betting guide and tips for the UCL second leg tie between Chelsea and Real Madrid. Every week I hope that things don’t get any worse and every week I’m let down even more. This Chelsea team is an absolute joke.
Todd Boehly created a massive mess by firing Thomas Tuchel and has been unable to fix his original mistake, instead appointing progressively less talented managers who’ve plunged the Blues into mid-table obscurity at best and a legitimate relegation battle at worst.
The fact that the club’s new ownership has spent nearly £1 billion euros since taking over, which was originally seen as a sign of assured confidence despite subpar results, has become an internet meme while high-profile arrivals like Noni Madueke and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can barely get into the squad. I’ve said it in previous articles, but as long as the blue flag is still flying in the English top flight next season, I don’t care what else happens. The end of 2022/23 can’t come soon enough, though.
The Blues’ next contest is only going to make things worse, optically speaking. Real Madrid is bound to arrive in London with tons of confidence following its 2-0 victory in the first leg and will probably advance into the Champions League semi-finals fairly comfortably.
Carlo Ancelotti and his boys, despite their relatively poor domestic form, are always a danger in continental competition. It’s just something about that white uniform. I genuinely worry that the aggregate scoreline could reach 2019/20-Bayern Munich levels if Los Blancos find an early goal, but I don’t want to be overly-pessimistic in this article. I’ll try to find some neutral bets to make the rest of this guide less depressing, but I’m not making any promises.
Unfortunately, the first pick will not be neutral. I have absolutely no idea how Real is valued at +145 odds on the moneyline. The competition’s reigning champions are head and shoulders above their opponents and most of their individual players have more UCL experience than the entire Chelsea squad combined.
Los Galacticos also cruised to a 2-0 victory over Cadiz in La Liga at the weekend while the Blues stumbled yet again in the Premier League, this time to Brighton at the Bridge. I really hate to bet against our favorite club in three consecutive contests, but it appears to be a profitable strategy at the moment. I’m still in minor shock at the visitor’s moneyline odds as I write this, but I’ll be taking serious advantage of the plus juice. Can’t fight the emotional hedge when it’s hot.
A second bet that I have my eye on is equally as anti-Chelsea as the first, but it doesn’t come with as much value. Real Madrid to win either half at -144 odds seems pretty safe, especially if you agree with me that the club from the Spanish capital will secure the victory.
I wish I had the same sense of anticipation that I did ahead of last year’s second leg matchup between these two European giants, but this Blues side doesn’t have half the heart or talent that squad did. It’s also incredibly devoid of vocal leadership apart from Thiago Silva, especially so on the touchline. That tends to be the difference between good and bad managers; the ability to lead and communicate a game plan in difficult circumstances.
And while Frank Lampard will always be a legend in west London, he doesn’t have the tactical ability to see the team through this blip. This was obvious after his first go-round as manager, but for some reason Boehly needed to see it again. The vibes around Stamford Bridge won’t improve if results don’t either.
Official odds (via FanDuel as of April 16)
Chelsea ML: +185
Real Madrid ML: +145
Draw: +240
Over/Under: 2.5 (-118/-104)
My Chelsea picks:
Being blinded by fandom is a terrible affliction for gamblers and I have a feeling my season record and profitability would be much improved if I had acknowledged this earlier in the campaign. Betting against Chelsea this season must have made many people insane amounts of money, so please leave your stories under this article if you have them.
I hope that fading the Blues continues to be a successful strategy this week. Give me the aforementioned Real Madrid ML at +145 odds and the visitors to win either half at -144. Finally, I’ll give our beloved club some love and take the home team to score over 0.5 first-half goals at +116 odds. If Lampard and the boys have any chance of turning the tie around, they’ll need to come out of the gates firing. An early goal would do them, and now my pocket book, a lot of good.
Will CFC make a stunning comeback against Real Madrid?