On Saturday, June 3, Juventus and Real Madrid will face off in Cardiff for the UEFA Champions League Final. Out of all the teams in the famous tournament, these two have proven to be the best and showed they have earned their spot in the final. If the semi-finals were any indication of the quality of play we can expect, the final will surely be one of the best in recent years. Betting lines for the Champions League final are shaping up as sportsbooks offering soccer betting lines for American residents have opened their futures bets to the match, currently favoring Real Madrid for the win.
Real Madrid faced inter-city rivals Atletico Madrid in the semi-final, a repeat of last year’s Champions League final. Real were the stronger of the team in the first leg winning 3-0. Their defense kept the pressure on Atletico’s attackers and their counter-attack style of play was too much for Atletico’s defenders to keep up with. Cristiano Ronaldo continued his historic Champions League scoring campaign with a hat trick. In the second leg, Atletico came out with their foot on the gas as they scored two goals inside of twenty minutes, keeping their Champions League hopes alive. The momentum seemed to be in their favor until Real midfielder Isco Aldaron scored a vital away goal right before the end of the first half. The effort began with a dazzling offensive display from striker to Karim Benzema along the touchline, who then played it out to midfielder Toni Kroos. Kroos’ shot was deflected off the goalkeeper and Isco was the first to react to the rebound. The second half had a few moments of action, but Real managed to keep Atletico at bay and secure their spot in the final.
Juventus played Monaco in the second leg. Monaco was a surprise in the tournament and had one of the most lethal offenses. Young talent Kylian Mbappe lit up team after team and will surely make an impact in world football for years to come. The first leg of the match previewed Juventus’ dominance. Their backline has been known to be one of the strongest and defenders Dani Alves, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli managed to help Gigi Buffon keep a clean sheet. Alves has proved to be one of their best signings of the offseason, completing several assists and scoring a goal in the second leg. Juventus’ offensive players Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic and Juan Cuadrado kept the pressure up and put on some impressive offensive displays. Monaco seemed helpless against Juventus iron-clad defense and ultimately didn’t have enough to compete.
The final will be an intense matchup between one of the best defenses in the world against arguably the world’s best player. Ronaldo will look to build on his Champions League scoring form and his team want to become the first in history to defend the title after winning it last year against Atletico. Juventus will want to avenge their Champions League final loss to Barcelona two years ago and give their veteran goalkeeper Buffon his first Champions League title as he nears his retirement. Both teams have some time to prepare and some questions to address. For Real, will Gareth Bale be healthy enough to play? If he is, should he even play or should they keep their current in-form lineup? For Juventus, can their current backline keep Real’s attack at bay? Will midfielder Sami Khedira be fit to play? In any case, all eyes will be on Cardiff come June 3.
If you intend to keep an eye on the odds as the match nears, you can visit one of the soccer betting sites we’ve reviewed where you can find current odds in real time. The betting lines as these sites are comparable to the ones you find in Las Vegas sportsbooks, with competitive paylines.