Chelsea travel to Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday Night and Tom Carnduff has found two best bets to back.
Football betting tips: Champions League
2pt Karim Benzema to score anytime at 11/10 (bet365)
1pt Real Madrid to score 3+ goals at 14/5 (General)
I'm not entirely sure what Chelsea are trying to do this season. I'm not entirely sure Chelsea know what they are trying to do this season.
Graham Potter's sacking coming after two windows of excessive and somewhat unnecessary spending highlights that they're a club with no idea how to achieve the direction they're aiming for.
There's enough talent in this ridiculously built squad to fluke some good results before the end of the season. The Champions League is now their only chance of any success though - serial winners Real Madrid are not the club to face at this point.
Frank Lampard's appointment as the interim further highlights Chelsea's struggling position. Chuck the word "process" into the statement and all is well - that coming after abandoning the last process just six months in.
Lampard's ability to fail upwards is actually at a point where you've got to weirdly admire it. After heroically taking Derby from 6th to 6th, Chelsea from 4th to 4th and Everton from 16th to 16th, he has the rare opportunity of leaving a team in a better place than he found it in.
His first game back at the helm ended in defeat at Wolves, a contest where they mustered up a few half decent chances to score but ultimately couldn't convert. It was a low-event game which actually delivered a worse attacking display than recent ones under Graham Potter.
This should be a game that sees the hosts enjoy the better of the opportunities, making REAL MADRID TO SCORE 3+ GOALS an appealing bet at 14/5.
A changed side may have been beaten by Villarreal at the weekend, but they have shown time and time again that they can find the net in front of their own supporters.
That includes six against Valladolid and three past Espanyol in games that have taken place over the last month. They also hit four at the Camp Nou in success against Barcelona.
Real are averaging 2.34 xG per La Liga and Champions League game this season - a figure that jumps up to 2.67 in home games.
It's going to be a concern against a Chelsea side who did concede 54 Premier League goals in Lampard's first full season at the club (9th highest), while they had 23 against in the 19 games before he was sacked.
If the hosts are scoring three, then it's worth siding with KARIM BENZEMA TO SCORE ANYTIME with odds of 11/10 available.
The striker continues to star, netting 25 in 32 games across all competitions. I can discuss underlying numbers in more detail but it feels like it just highlights things that we already know - he is an elite level scorer.
Benzema scored three across the two wins over Liverpool, with a hat-trick coming in that big win over Barcelona in the Copa del Rey. Recent form has also been good.
The hosts are in a great position to secure victory, and taking a convincing advantage into the second leg feels a real possibility.
Real Madrid v Chelsea best bets and score prediction
- 2pt Karim Benzema to score anytime at 11/10 (bet365)
- 1pt Real Madrid to score 3+ goals at 14/5 (General)
Score prediction: Real Madrid 3-0 Chelsea (Sky Bet odds: 12/1)
Odds correct at 1310 BST (10/04/23)
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