Over 3.5 Goals – 11/10
Looking at both teams’ records in this season’s competition, we’d expect goals, goals and more goals in this one. In the previous knock-out rounds, the only game where Liverpool failed to score was the second leg versus Porto, where they’d already smashed in five in the first meeting.
They also concede with frequency. From 5-0 up against Roma after 68 minutes of the first leg, they lost the following 112 minutes of the tie 6-2.
Madrid are rock solid by comparison, but still came perilously close to throwing away advantages in both quarter and semi finals.
Over 3.5 is our conservative play here, and those who prefer a bigger price – who doesn’t? – might look at over 4.5 goals at 9/4, or even over 5.5 at 5/1.
To Be Booked: Sergio Ramos – 10/11
The Los Blancos centre-half has been known to go loco occasionally, and Liverpool’s three amigos up front are sure to test Ramos and the rest of Madrid’s defence in Kiev.
Also, this is the final. Neither side are going to hold back, and Sergio without the worry of a suspension in the next round suggests a card is a near certainty.
Bookings in each of his previous three final appearances also support this view.
Referee Milorad Mazic has handed out the sixth most yellow cards in this season’s Champions League out of the 37 refs who taken charge of games, so, should Ramos give him a reason, we expect the ref to oblige here.
Last Goalscorer: Sergio Ramos – 33/1
The price here is huge, and Ramos has done it before, scoring the equaliser against Atletico in in the 93rd minute of 2014’s final, so we may be looking for lightning to strike twice, but, for similar reasons to the above bet, Ramos is an intriguing option in the goalscorer markets.
His record shows that he doesn’t hold back as he’s scored some gargantuan goals in recent seasons.
Real Madrid’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (L) celebrates with Real Madrid’s Spanish defender Sergio Ramos after scoring his second goal during the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen first leg football match Real Madrid CF against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on February 14, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
He’s a major threat from set-pieces, and with Liverpool’s defence being light on imposing figures, we’d fancy him to act the bully from dead ball chances.
Whatever way you look at it, 33/1 is a nice price for someone who’s shown they can crop up with goals that really matter.
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