It ain’t over until it is!

The first leg was probably the most spectacular game in the round of 16 of the Champions League. Real Madrid beat the Reds 2-5 away. The royals are probably one and a half feet in the quarter-finals, but Liverpool FC should never be written off in such a hopeless situation. The odds of the bookmakers are very balanced despite the first leg, mainly because everybody can sense that it can be an open game where everything could happen.

No team is more successful in the Champions League than Real Madrid. They have won the competition for the 5th time since the 2013/14 season. One of their main competitors was Liverpool FC. The last two finals were played against the English and both games were won. Liverpool actually wanted to take revenge on their final defeat in the round of 16, but they went down 5-2 in the first leg. Only very few believe in an ascent. At the same time, Liverpool FC is a club that should never be written off on such a stage. After all, they have almost no pressure in the second leg. 

Are you new to our Betandyou blog? Well, check out our promotions!

Real Madrid have everything in their own hands

The Royals are of course one of the big favorites for the title again this year. Hardly any other team has such experience and such successes in the Champions League. After they had to wait 3 years, they won the title in the premier class again last season. It was the 5th success since 2014. 

For the 2nd time in a row they defeated Liverpool FC in the final, against whom they now have to play in the round of 16. They probably didn't expect a 2-5 win in Liverpool themselves, but that puts them in a more than comfortable starting position. Even a 2-goal defeat would qualify for promotion to the quarter-finals.

Real Madrid already showed in the group stage this year that they are one of the most attacking clubs in the premier class. In 6 group games they scored a strong 15 hits and thus exactly 2.5 goals per game. At least one goal was scored in every game. In 5 of 6 group games they were at least twice successful.A total of 10 goals were scored in the last group game against Celtic and in the first leg against Liverpool. 

The best scorer is Vinicius Junior, who has already been successful 6 times. In addition, there is a good balance, because with only 6 goals conceded, the defense is usually very safe. Nevertheless, they always conceded at least one goal in the last 5 CL games. They were also 2-0 down against Liverpool. 

Things aren't going as well in the league this year as in the Champions League, because although they're in second place there, their chances of winning the championship are very slim. With 56 points, Real are already 9 points behind FC Barcelona. To make up such a deficit is probably as good as impossible. Real lost too many points, especially away from home. In 13 away games they conceded 3 defeats. At home they are together with Barcelona, the only team that is still undefeated. In addition to 12 wins, 4 games ended in a draw. 

With 26 goals, however, they have the best offensive in the entire league. However, their last home game against Atletico Madrid ended in a 1-1 draw. Previously they could win 2 home games in a row. After just one win from the last 4 competitive games, progress would also be extremely important for coach Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian has come under criticism from time to time in recent weeks.

Despite the 2-5 victory in Liverpool, it is impossible that coach Carlo Ancelotti will rotate. Their opponents are still one of the best teams in Europe and anything is possible if they fall behind early on. Karim Benzema should also be fit in the second leg, as should his congenial partner Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian shot himself in at the weekend and scored in the 3-1 home win against Espanyol Barcelona. 

The old stars Luka Modric and Toni Kroos will probably be in midfield. Antonio Rüdiger will probably return in central defense, he was rested at the weekend. The left-back position remains vacant. Ferland Mendy is injured, as is David Alaba. Nacho Fernandez could come into play here, unlike Eduardo Camavinga, he is a trained defender.

Can you write Liverpool off?

Liverpool was and is one of the best teams in Europe under coach Jürgen Klopp. This season, however, the club is apparently in a small upheaval and this is reflected in the results. In the Premier League they are only in 6th place and they are fighting for participation in the premier class. There, in turn, they lost the round of 16 first leg against Real Madrid with 2-5. 

The performances in the last few weeks have also improved and they defeated Manchester United 7-0, among other things! Barely a week later, bottom-placed Bournemouth lost 1-0. This shows quite clearly that the team is not consistent in their performance this year. But they don't have much to lose in Madrid, maybe it will help them if they can play freely.

It's difficult to rate Liverpool's performances this season as they can vary wildly from week to week. Recently, however, the defensive around Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate has been very stable. With the return of the defense boss, a real jolt went through the team. They have gone 5 league games in a row without conceding a goal and also conceded just one goal against Bournemouth.The newly formed offensive is having a much harder time, because apart from the 7-0 win against Manchester United, they have not scored more than 2 goals in a single Premier League game in 2023. The two newcomers Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez still have to learn the hard way in their first year on the island. 

With a few exceptions, Anfield is very stable. Away, however, Liverpool FC is only lower midfield in the Premier League this year. In 13 away games they could win only 3 times.Another 3 games ended in a draw. With 7 defeats they have lost more than half of their away games. This is also clearly reflected in the goal difference, which is 13:20 goals. Of course, this is far too little for the Reds, both offensively and defensively. Before the 1-0 defeat against Bournemouth, they were almost in top form, having gone 2 away games in a row unbeaten. But now they are again 2 away games in a row without scoring a goal.

Above all, offensive coach Jürgen Klopp has a little more choice with the return of Roberto Firmini and Diogo Jota. It is quite possible that these two will be allowed to start next to Mohamed Salah this time and that the old trio will be reunited. Captain Jordan Henderson is expected to return to the starting XI in midfield after being sidelined against AFC Bournemouth. 

The defensive, on the other hand, is setting itself up at the moment. Hopes are resting with the Egyptian King Mohamed Salah anyway. He particularly likes to score in the Champions League this year, where he leads the scorer list with 8 goals.

Real Madrid - Liverpool: What to expect? 

Real Madrid have scored 17 goals in their last 10 games. Liverpool FC, on the other hand, has scored 16 goals. If we disregard the goal difference of both teams, which averaged 8.0, the teams averaged 3.3 goals per game. Therefore we recommend Under 3.5 goals or Over 2.5 goals as likely variants. Both teams scored in an average of 60% of the games. The probability based on the last games suggests that this time both teams can score.

Real Madrid will probably not let this be taken away and move into the quarterfinals. But we wouldn't place a winning bet, the 3 goal lead is too big for that. Liverpool will play offensive because they need to score at least 3 goals. Because of this starting position, we also expect one or two goals. As a bank tip, we would therefore recommend an over/under bet on over 2.5 goals. A bet on more than 3.5 goals would be a bit riskier 

• Both Teams To Score
• Under 3.5 goals

* All odds and markets are correct at time of publication and subject to change.