Champions League Final Tips: Best Bets For Liverpool vs Real Madrid

2022 UCL Final Tips:

• Anytime Goalscorer – Sadio Mane 11/5 William Hill
• Anytime Goalscorer – Karim Benzema 13/10 Bet365
• Draw and BTTS – 7/2 Betfair
• Luis Diaz Man of the Match – 7/1 Bet365

This Saturday’s Champions League final sees two of Europe’s most successful clubs go head-to-head in Paris with six-time winners Liverpool holding favourtism with online betting sites.

Thirteen-time winners Real Madrid are not used to being underdogs, but it’s a status they’ve revelled in this season by knocking out Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City against the odds.

Can they continue to defy football betting sites by lifting the trophy at the Stade de France? Only someone who hasn’t watched them in the Champions League this season would be dismissive of their chances.

But the reality of the situation is that the expectancy lies with Liverpool, who are a best price of 1/1 to get the job done in 90 minutes, and 4/7 to emerge victorious by any means. Although those prices may shift closer to kick-off.

However, having played the maximum number of games available to them this season, fatigue has naturally creeped into Liverpool’s game over the past few weeks – so they might not have everything their own way in the final.

Here, we take a look at four logical predictions to consider including in a bet builder. Incidentally, you can get a free €5 bet with Bet365 on the Champions League final and all four selections here on their bet builder will give you odds of around 237/1.

Sadio Mane Anytime Goalscorer – 11/5

Ever since he won the African Cup of Nations with Senegal at the beginning of the year, Sadio Mane has been back to his best in a Liverpool shirt. His shift to the centre of Liverpool’s famed front three has also worked wonders for his goal return and there’s a strong case to be made for him being the team’s most in-form forward.

Naturally, the first goal and anytime scorer odds are shorter for Mohamed Salah – he is Liverpool’s penalty taker and top scorer after all – but Mane is the form player in front of goal for the Reds right now so the he’s better value than Salah in the anytime market. Remember, though, anytime scorer bets only count for the regular 90 minutes.

Karim Benzema Anytime Goalscorer – 13/10

If you can consider Mane to be in a hot streak, then Karim Benzema’s form is absolutely volcanic. With 44 goals in 45 games in all competitions this season, he’s piping hot – the deadliest striker in world football at this moment in time. 

Liverpool’s defence is by no means solid – goalkeeper Alisson Becker bails them out non-stop – so Benzema will be licking his lips at the prospect of scoring against them in another Champions League final, having done so when the sides last met on the big stage in 2018. The tournament’s top scorer has been scoring for fun in the Champions League all season – the final should be no different.

Draw and Both Teams To Score – 7/2

Much has been made of Liverpool reaching three finals this year, but despite lifting the League Cup and FA Cup already this season they needed extra-time and penalties to do so in both finals. It suggests a lack of ruthlessness when the stakes are high and they might have to go the distance again here.

However, whilst Chelsea held them to two 0-0 draws in the aforementioned finals, European affairs tend to be more open, so it would be a surprise if either team failed to find the net. You can get odds of 7/2 on a draw with both teams to score, with a 1-1, 2-2 or even 3-3 draw very plausible in Paris.

Luis Diaz Man of the Match – 7/1

Most Irish bookmakers will have a Man of the Match market in their Champions League betting offers and Luis Diaz stands out in Bet365’s odds at 7/1. The Colombian is likely to start having made such a big impact since arriving from Porto in January. 

Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino will probably have to make do with a spot on the bench, and Diaz was Man of the Match in the FA Cup final with a scintillating display at Wembley. That suggests he’s mentally strong enough to put on his best showing in big games, and there are none bigger in club football than the Champions League final.