4/2 Recap: I’d like to take a second here at the beginning to thank Real Betis’ Sergio Leon. Even though my bet was set to win in that match, he still sealed the deal late with a sleek toe poke goal. That is more than I can say for Cardiff City. Though they were able to steal a point off Sheffield United, their lack of ambition left me wanting once they went down 1-0. I expected more from the Welsh side, especially against a backup goalkeeper. But nevertheless, yesterday wasn’t a complete loss. That is more than I can say in anticipation of this afternoon’s proceedings. That is because my nemesis, the UEFA Champions League, is back. The quarterfinals kick off with two matches today and both scare the crap out of me.
4/2 Results:
My Picks: Cardiff City 2 Sheffield United 0 (Cardiff PICK [+110])
Real Betis 2 Getafe 1 (Real Betis +0.5 goals [-125])
Actual Results: Cardiff City 1 Sheffield United 1
Real Betis 1 Getafe 0
So instead of just sitting here reevaluating my decision, I’m just going to rip the band-aid off. We head to Turin first for a rematch of last year’s Champions League final between Juventus and Real Madrid.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Real Madrid @ Juventus (2:45 PM ET/Fox Sports 1, Fox Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, fuboTV, SiriusXM Fox Sports 83)
As stated earlier, the first match of the 2017-18 quarterfinals is a replay of last year’s final match.
Juventus needed everything in their arsenal (no pun intended) to beat Spurs in the Round of 16 but will somehow need that much more on their quest for a third final in four years. It would be a massive achievement for the Old Lady. They are unquestionably one of the biggest clubs in Europe but fall below that elite echelon in a sense. Their constant roster turnover forces them to get creative with yearly rebuilds while other big clubs just stockpile. That is what makes Juventus’ dominance in Italy and two UCL finals appearances that much more impressive. But they don’t want to be bridesmaids any longer. And to do so they have to take out Real Madrid, looking for a third straight Champions League title.
And with the form Real Madrid is in heading into the quarterfinals, you have to be worried for Juventus. They eviscerated PSG in the Round of 16 and Ronaldo has his shooting boots on. 21 goals in 13 matches across all competitions is a staggering figure, but that is just his 2018. For my money, Juventus still has the best defense in Europe, but I don’t think they’ll keep Ronaldo off the scoresheet.
This is currently a pick ’em (per Bovada). While the draw is tantalizing, I am going to go for a Real Madrid win in the first leg. However, that is just for the picks portion. The prop I will be taking is Both Teams Score. Real Madrid has only had two clean sheets in the UCL this year. Both came against APOEL Nicosia.
PREDICTION: Real Madrid 2 Juventus 1 (Both Teams Score [-120])
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Bayern Munich @ Sevilla (2:45 PM ET/ESPN Deportes, Facebook Live, SiriusXM FC 157)
The second of the day’s quarterfinals is what many believe to be the most lopsided matchup of the round.
Bayern Munich gets their second straight “easy draw” after putting Besiktas in a shallow grave 8-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16. The Bavarian behemoths were never tested in Germany or Turkey in that one. They are cruising to a sixth straight Bundesliga title and just massacred Borussia Dortmund. Is Bayern getting rest on the way to another final? Or are they being lulled into complacency when they need to be on their game the most?
If there is a team to shock the system it is Sevilla. They knocked me on my ass over the weekend in their performance against Barcelona, before gagging it away at the death. They dominated Manchester United in the Round of 16, regardless if you want to say Man U choked. The longest shot (per Bovada) to win it all at +6600, Sevilla knows their role is at best a spoiler one. But who is to say they can’t be?
At least for the first leg, I give them a puncher’s chance. In Munich, we could have a different story, but the same was said about going to Old Trafford. At the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, I think Sevilla will at least get a share of the spoils but leak in the away goal that will doom them in the second leg. So I’m going double prop on this one with the draw and like the previous pick, Both Teams Score.
PREDICTION: Bayern Munich 1 Sevilla 1 (DRAW [+350], Both Teams Score [-155])
If you have any games you’d like me to pick in tomorrow’s quarterfinals or over the rest of the week, you can contact me on Twitter @TREVORutley. In addition to the available media listed for each game, be sure to try out our Gameview service while watching as well. Also, here is a link for my results throughout and the points system. Cheers!