Manchester City vs Real Madrid Prediction: Champions League Betting Picks, Best Bets & UCL Odds
Manchester City vs Real Madrid betting picks
One of the last two teams to win the Champions League faces an early exit from this year's competition as Manchester City and Real Madrid get set for the first leg of their high-stake play-off tie (3pm ET, DAZN).
Between them, Real and City have won the last three editions of the tournament, with Los Blancos collecting their 15th crown in 2024, 12 months after the Citizens won their maiden title.
Betting sites had expected both these teams to go far this time around, but poor showings in the new league format has seen the duo paired together in the first knockout round.
Neither team did enough to secure automatic qualification for the round of 16 via a top eight league finish, with Real ending up 11th with five wins from eight matches, four points better off than City in 22nd.
Pep Guardiola's side needed a victory over Club Brugge to sneak into the play-off round and are underdogs on most betting apps to get through a two-legged tie against the kings of Europe, Real, who will have home advantage in the second leg.
City need to take a positive result to the Bernabeu next week to be in with a chance of going through, but recent performances suggest that might be a struggle.
Man City vs Real Madrid preview: Value Lies With Visitors
City are a best price of +140 to win Tuesday's first leg at the Etihad Stadium, despite having done very little recently to suggest they should be favorites against the reigning European champions.
A weakened City side only just put out Leyton Orient from the third tier of English football last weekend, while their last EPL game saw them get annihilated 5-1 by Arsenal.
City were made to look old by an energetic Gunners side, and it wasn't the first time that's happened this season with Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool overrunning Pep Guardiola's men too.
PSG's come-from-behind 4-2 win over the English champions formed part of a miserable end to the UCL group stage as City won one of their final five matches.
That sole victory came against Club Brugge on the final league phase matchday in a game where they fell behind and there's little confidence in City, even if their injury issues have now cleared up.
Finding a way to back Real on soccer betting sites is the preference, even if Carlo Ancelotti's men have failed to win their last two La Liga fixtures, drawing 1-1 with Atletico Madrid at the weekend.
However, that tie kept them top of the Spanish league, and they know what it takes to knock City out of this competition having done just that in two of the last three seasons.
They've won their last three UCL games and have won on three of their last seven visits to England, which hadn't been a happy hunting ground before that run.
The concern for Real Madrid is at the back, where injuries have left them short of options defensively.
This could be a prime opportunity for Erling Haaland to open his account for City against Real having failed to score in four previous attempts, but it's debatable whether a goal from the Norwegian will be enough to see off Real.
A fearsome front three of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo, with Jude Bellingham tucked in behind, should cause City major issues and a chance is taken on Real drawing first blood in the tie in a first leg featuring goals.
Man City vs Real Madrid betting pick 1: Real Madrid to win & both teams to score (+352 Pinnacle)
Go For Red-hot Rodrygo
Big summer signing Mbappe has hit his stride for Real recently, scoring nine times in his last eight games to take his tally for the season to 23.
It's no surprise he's the favorite to score for Real against City on old and new betting sites alike, but he's not the only Galatico who has been finding the back of the net regularly in recent weeks.
Rodrygo has scored 10 times in his last 14 games, including four goals in his last two Champions League appearances.
There's a case to be made for Vinicius Jr grabbing a goal at the Etihad Stadium too as Real's top scorer in UCL games this season, but Rodrygo's price of +245 may prove the best option.
The Brazilian has had at least three shots in eight of his last 10 appearances and boasts a superior shots on target percentage than Vinicius across all competitions this season.
Man City vs Real Madrid betting pick 2: Rodrygo to score anytime (+245 BetRivers)
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