Champions League Final Odds: Real Madrid Slight Favorite Over Atletico Madrid
Real Madrid will try to keep a 10-game undefeated streak alive Saturday when it takes on rival Atletico Madrid in this year’s UEFA Champions League final as +140 betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Los Blancos are 9-1-0 over their past 10 games, including shutout victories in each of their past three tournament games, and look poised to claim a record 11th Champions League title in Saturday’s Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid matchup at Stadio San Siro in Milan, Italy.
Real Madrid also wrapped up its Spanish Primera Division schedule with 12 consecutive wins, overcoming a slow start but failing to end its four-year La Liga championship drought. Real Madrid settled for second place, one point back of Barcelona.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been a driving force behind Real’s resurgence, tallying 35 goals in 36 La Liga games, and an impressive 16 goals in 11 Champions League contests, including a three-goal performance in the second leg of the matchup with Wolfburg that clinched a semifinal berth.
Ronaldo is expected to be on the field Saturday despite leaving practice early in the week after aggravating a thigh injury that previously forced him to miss three games in April, including the first leg of Real Madrid’s semifinal matchup with Manchester City, which ended in a goal-less draw.
Atletico Madrid has been riding a hot streak of its own, winning eight of its past 10 games, including a shocking upset of Barcelona in the quarterfinal. The result handed the defending champs an early exit with a 3-2 aggregate loss.
Los Colchoneros return to the Champions League final for the second time in three years, sporting +210 odds at the sportsbooks of claiming their first-ever crown.
The club defied the oddsmakers with another upset victory in the semifinals, splitting the two-game matchup with tournament favorites Bayern Munich and advancing on the strength of the away goals rule.
Despite finishing two points behind Real Madrid in La Liga’s standings, Atletico has enjoyed recent success against its local rivals, going undefeated in two league matchups this season to improve to 2-3-1 in their last six head-to-head meetings.
But it has been Real that has dominated in recent Champions League clashes with Atletico, surrendering only one total goal in three meetings, including a 4-1 victory in the 2014 UCL final that featured a demoralizing three goals in extra time.
Thumbnail photo via Tim Fuller/USA TODAY Sports Images
