Real Madrid’s Odds Plummet After Champions League Round of 16 Leg 1 Defeat

• After Madrid’s first-leg defeat to Man City on Wednesday, their Champions League odds have taken a turn for the worst
• Zinedine Zidane’s side was at an average of +1533 before the match, not they’re at +3250 prior to the 2-1 loss
• See the updated odds for each team to win the 2020 UCL title after the completion of Round of 16 Leg 1 matches

Wednesday brought one of the most exciting Champions League fixtures of the Round of 16 thus far, with Man City taking a commanding 2-1 lead on aggregate as they head back to the Etihad on March 17th for the second leg. City’s two away goals will prove to be vital, with Madrid facing a tough task in order to advance in the competition.

Champions League Odds

Odds taken Feb 27

With the loss at the Bernabeu to the English champions, the latest Champions League Odds put Los Blancos as a longshot to win the trophy this year. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s men are still the favorite to win it all. Bayern Munich, who dominated Chelsea on Tuesday and take a 3-0 lead back to Germany, has the second-best odds to win the Champions League this season.

Madrid Face Uphill Battle

It was always expected that such a heavyweight clash would be an entertaining one and it definitely didn’t disappoint. City controlled most of the first half, but couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities. In the 60th minute, Madrid took advantage of a huge collapse in the Man City backline, with three different mistakes leading to an Isco goal thanks to some wonderful movement and skill from Vinicius Jr to set him up for an easy finish.

After that moment, the English giants stepped on the gas pedal. They came firing on all cylinders, with their entire attack, as per usual, running through midfield wizard Kevin De Bruyne. In the 78th minute, they finally broke through when the Belgian whipped in a smart ball from the left side where Gabriel Jesus capitalized with a beautiful header. Just minutes later, substitute Raheem Sterling was taken out in the box, leading to a spot-kick in which De Bruyne put away in prolific fashion.

Fernandinho came in to replace Aymeric Laporte in the first half after the Frenchman once again injured himself and played brilliantly in his absence, providing a ton of solidity on the City backline.

The first English side to win at the Bernabeu in 11 years…

A gargantuan performance!

⚪️ 1-2 🔵 #ManCity #UCL pic.twitter.com/9Tork6SptR

— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 26, 2020

Frankly, even though Madrid took the lead and kept City at bay for the majority of the match, they barely had any serious opportunities in the final third. Karim Benzema was basically non-existent, who is their leading goal-scorer this season. Vinicius Jr was one of the only bright spots on the attack for Zidane’s squad. Madrid had just three shots on goal to City’s eight. It was very clear by the result who the better side is.

Madrid captain Sergio Ramos was also red-carded in the first leg and even though Madrid is appealing the referee’s decision, chances are he will miss the vital second leg in England.

City Can Win it All

I don’t think there is any chance that Real Madrid will make a historic comeback in the second leg, especially given Man City’s impressive form at home, where they’ve lost just twice this season.

With a two-year ban from European competitions coming into effect for the English side, they’re quickly realizing that this is their year to finally lift Europe’s most prized trophy. The title race in England is way out of their reach at this point, so this competition is definitely their main focus. They must be more consistent on the defensive end though because that’s been one of their biggest issues this year. When it comes to their attack, it’s one of the most electric in the world.

Pep’s side should definitely be the UCL favorites after their gutsy performance on Wednesday.

Pick: Man City +275