football | Thursday, May 26, 2022 12:44 PM (Revised at: Saturday, May 28, 2022 9:36 PM)

Sam Ingram's Champions League Final Bet Builder Tips: Liverpool vs Real Madrid, May 28th

Sam Ingram

The Parisian showpiece event is Liverpool’s tenth European Cup final. Only three other clubs have hit double-figures in final appearances in the competition’s history; AC Milan and Bayern Munich both boast 11, and you guessed it, Real Madrid leads the way with 16.

Liverpool vs Real Madrid Bet Builder Tips

Liverpool to Lift Trophy
Real Madrid to be Carded in the Second Half
Liverpool Over 3 Corners

Available at 2.60 with bet365

Odds via bet365 are correct as of 22:00 on May 23rd 2022. Odds may now differ.

In this article

Liverpool vs Real Madrid Stats and Facts
Liverpool vs Real Madrid Bet Builder Tips

In what is set to be the third occasion, Liverpool versus Real Madrid will be the most played Champions League final ever. ‘European Royalty’, as is the term coined by Liverpool supporters, can also undoubtedly be attributed to the Madrid-based super-club arriving to end any hopes of a seventh.

Steeped in silverware and iconic moments on the continent, Carlo Ancelotti’s modern-day Galacticos will pose the most arduous task. Yet, the reds head to the Stade de France in rampant fashion.

The 147 goals scored in all competitions is the loftiest total ever recorded by the red faction of Liverpool and one they’ll be hoping edges towards the 150-mark before the Champions League weekend comes to a close.

It wasn’t the ending that those of a Liverpool persuasion were hoping for in the Premier League. Instead, plenty of ups and downs from the final 90-minutes ultimately brought the curtain down on Pep Guardiola’s fourth top-flight title in five seasons at the Etihad.

Mohamed Salah’s forced smile-come-grimace when handed his individual accolades after the final whistle summed up the mood perfectly on Merseyside. It’s difficult to feel too disheartened as a Liverpool supporter right now. Two cups in the bag, a trip to Paris next on the agenda, all whilst watching a level of artistry on show that rivals one of the sport’s very best sides 40-miles away in Manchester.

A brilliant City outfit pipped Liverpool again domestically, but it is their presence which encourages the levels we’re used to from Jürgen Klopp’s men. And it’s that City squad who restricted Real Madrid to zero shots in the opening 89-minutes in the second leg of the semi-final.

In front of a rowdy Bernabéu, one that is knowledgeable and well aware of the magic of this competition, Real Madrid found a way. Without a shot on target before injury time, the Spaniards then scored three out of their five shots on target. Rodrygo’s brace before the final whistle makes him the first player to score twice in added time of a Champions League knockout match.

Karim Benzema of Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League match

Sipa US / Alamy Stock Photo

This is nothing unusual to those lining the Bernabéu’s concourses in Real Madrid white. Feats such as this have shaped their club into what we see today. Real Madrid are the leading light in the Champions League – supporters will have you believe that this is their competition. But, make no bones about it; Liverpool have a seismic challenge on their hands to remove it from their vice-like grasp.

Nevertheless, Jürgen Klopp will be confident, and you can’t blame him with the squad he has assembled in the North of England. Only Sir Alex Ferguson has led an English club to more European Cup finals than the German. Now sitting on three with his Liverpool side, Jürgen joins Bob Paisley, who also managed in (and won) three finals, leaving Joe Fagan and Rafael Benitez in his wake on two apiece.

More Champions League Final betting tips from the bettingexpert community

It’s a testament to Liverpool’s current setup that Klopp is able to rub shoulders with the aforementioned ‘boot room’ greats that used to guide Anfield’s distinguished teams before him. However, it’s not just the man in charge who is pulling up trees in UEFA’s flagship domestic competition.

Sadio Mané, for one, has just leapfrogged Didier Drogba as the highest-scoring African in the Champions League knockout phase. His 15th knockout phase strike against Villarreal was enough to usher him ahead of Chelsea’s talismanic Ivorian.

After captaining Senegal to an African Cup of Nations triumph, guiding his country to the World Cup in Qatar, and playing a pivotal role in Liverpool’s often spell-binding season, perhaps the Ballon d’Or (16/1 on bet365) is on the line in Paris. If Sadio Mané can produce a noteworthy performance and have his say in the final, the Ballon d’Or could be up for grabs come the final whistle. As the dominance of Messi and Ronaldo weans, it’s time for a newcomer.

Shifting the focus to right-back, if you can call him that, has Trent Alexander-Arnold mustering his own impact on the history books with Saturday’s fixture fast approaching. If the Scouse’ right-back’ is involved in the final, he would become the second-youngest player to feature in three finals in the competition’s history. Juventus’ Alessandro Del Piero takes the spot as the youngest, but there’s no shame in that.

Sipa US / Alamy Stock Photo

Although Liverpool Football Club and its playing staff have grown used to the limelight in European competition, they aren’t quite as prosperous as 13-time victors, Real Madrid. Their head-honcho, Carlo Ancelotti, faces a fifth Champions League final outing – the most of any coach before him.

If the former-Everton gaffer claims Madrid’s 14th, he would, in turn, lift the cup for a record-breaking fourth time. Zinedine Zidane and Bob Paisley are the two coaches whom Ancelotti shares a trio of European Cup wins with at present – that would be some dinner party.

To highlight the ultimate level of consistency at the top of football, you only need to delve into Real Madrid’s current crop of players. All of Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Isco, Marcelo, Luka Modrić and Dani Carvajal could appear in their fifth Champions League final victory on Saturday.

This seemingly never-ending relentless march towards significant trophy wins should strike fear into their Merseyside opponents. Yes, it’s an ageing squad and one that doesn’t quite compare to previous seasons, but it’s one that knows how to win. The blueprint, a winning formula, and the playbook to get a result; it’s within the DNA of this group.

Against PSG, Chelsea, and Manchester City this season, Real Madrid appeared dead and buried at times. To be trailing against all three and be still here in the final, that’s some doing. That never say die attitude and the talent to back it up is a concerning attribute for Liverpool to ponder.

No matter the outcome, and no matter which direction the famed silverware will find a home, Stade de France will bear witness to a spectacle. It’s unlikely the expectations of those in attendance will fall short.

The French capital has hosted a Liverpool vs Real Madrid European Cup final once before, in 1981. The legendary Bob Paisley engineered a 1-0 victory on that occasion. And how Jürgen Klopp would like to follow in the great man’s footsteps.

Liverpool vs Real Madrid Stats and Facts

Liverpool beat Madrid 5-0 on aggregate in the round of 16 in 2008/09. To this day, it stands as Madrid’s biggest defeat in the UEFA Champions League.
The Reds find themselves in the UEFA Champions League for the 14th time, whereas Real Madrid can make it 14 European Cup lifts in Paris.
Benzema has scored 15 goals in this season’s UEFA Champions League, two more than Robert Lewandowski this campaign and two shy of the competition record set by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013/14.
Los Blancos have reached the semi-finals in ten of the last 12 instalments of the UEFA Champions League.

Liverpool vs Real Madrid Bet Builder Tips

Liverpool to Lift Trophy
Real Madrid to be Carded in the Second Half
Liverpool Over 3 Corners

Available at 2.60 with bet365

Odds via bet365 are correct as of 22:00 on May 23rd 2022. Odds may now differ.

There’s added needle to this match-up, that’s for sure. Kyiv’s 2019 final still lingers like a bad smell amidst the corridors in Kirkby and the concourses throughout Anfield.

Salah’s comments of hoping to meet Real Madrid in Paris point towards his early exit at the hands of Sergio Ramos on Ukrainian soil. A sense of ‘what if’ overshadows the event from a Liverpool perspective. What if Salah had played the 90-minutes, and what if they had someone in net furnished with the ability to catch a cold?

Not only that, but the most recent meeting between the pair oversaw an injury-hit Liverpool side fall out of 2020/21’s instalment of the Champions League. Nat Phillips and Ozan Kabak proved not quite capable enough at keeping Zidane’s Madrid at bay, although putting in a valiant display considering the standard of opponent.

If either side takes the lead on Saturday, I can only envisage the other scrapping for the right to be heard in the tie. On the other hand, if Madrid manages to work a deficit, the dark arts will certainly frustrate the reds – a group used to having things their own way. Likewise, Real Madrid are not familiar with defeat. It’s a welcomed trait as a professional sports team, but it may act as a double-edged sword when the boot is on the other foot.

As a result, Real Madrid to receive a card in the second half is an angle I shall be adopting. However, with Clement Turpin as the official in the spotlight, it doesn’t necessarily provide the reassurance to pull the trigger.

This season, Turpin averages 2.88 yellow cards per90 in the Champions League (eight fixtures), plus four red cards. The referee’s total of 2.75 after the half-time whistle, compared to 0.75 in the initial 45-minutes, offers an insight into how the Frenchman prefers to officiate matches. Despite lucking out in terms of the referee being not as card-happy as I’d like, we can be hopeful the enormity of what’s at stake takes hold for both clubs in the latter stages.

Corners of the Liverpool variety are next up. Four taken in the FA Cup final and 11 in the League Cup equivalent suggest corners still flow at the business end. The 7.17 corners averaged per90 in the Champions League to this point should give any willing punters the urge to include a flags bet builder pick. In addition, Los Blancos’ corners conceded have hit 4.36 in the same timeframe. In the Premier League, the 7.42 corners taken per90 average over 38 games is a nod towards the reliability of the 7.17 Champions League total from a smaller sample size.

I’m also keen to hang my hat on an outright winner away from what is hopefully a card and corner-laden ninety in Paris. Real Madrid’s know-how in the competition and their ability to work a route back into games is my reasoning for avoiding the 90-minute result. However, the ‘Lift the Trophy’ market serves up a selection that not only drags the bet builder closer to a 2/1 pick but also gives me a chance to get behind Liverpool in some capacity.

It won’t be easy. The Reds have a mountain to climb on Saturday. Nonetheless, they’re favourites for a reason. Real Madrid may have won La Liga, but there was little competition. Sevilla threatened for a spell but never really looked like genuine title contenders. Furthermore, a beleaguered start to Barcelona’s season amidst managerial upheaval wrote their title bid off almost instantly.

Liverpool’s quadruple dream will come agonisingly close. It’s no happy coincidence that Jordan Henderson and company have competed in every fixture possible this season. Along with Manchester City, they are the best football has to offer right now.

Klopp’s men have lost just three matches all season – Leicester and West Ham in the Premier League and Inter Milan in a tie won on aggregate. Failure is an oddity on Merseyside. For one fanbase, that is.

Real Madrid has it in their locker to pip Liverpool on their day, but I’m not buying that their day falls on May 28th. It’s a squad littered with supreme talent, but it’s one that is edging away from its prime years.

Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah, and Sadio Mané should run Los Blancos’ backline ragged if offered a sniff. Klopp’s arsenal is stocked with the likes of Diogo Jota and Robert Firmino in forward areas, too, both capable of becoming match winners. It could be a final won or lost with activity off the bench, and if that’s the case, I’d expect Liverpool’s fresh legs to reign supreme.

Well, that’s the theory here, anyway. Real Madrid’s love affair with the Champions League may well have another script for us to feast on entirely.

WHAT IS A BET BUILDER?

A bet builder is a kind of accumulator bet solely focussed on one match. A standard acca features multiple selections across different selections combined together into one bet. If one selection loses, the whole bet loses. A bet builder is similar but each selection is placed on the same match. Similar to the American prop bet, the bet builder goes into detail on a single match. Common selections include match outcome, total goals, cards, corners, and players to score.

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