Meanwhile, Manchester United host Barcelona in what could be the tie of the round
The greatest club competition in the world is back this week, with the first leg ties in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League set to take place. On this coming Wednesday night (10 April) Ajax host Juventus looking to upset another European giant after their heroics against Real Madrid in the past round, while Manchester United welcome Barcelona to Old Trafford in a clash which has the potential to be the tie of the round.
First things first
Before you go any further, head on over to the Oddsshark website, find your favorite betting site and get your own account up and running using your credit card. As a new customer and with the Champions League now in the knock-out stage, there should be a wide range of promotions and special offers available to you.
Where should I be investing my money?
First off, let’s start with the clash between Ajax and Juventus. Ajax currently sit top of the Eredivisie on goal difference and have won their last three league matches in a row – on the domestic front they are in fine form ahead of this match.
And in the Champions League they are now doing too badly either, thrashing Real Madrid 4-1 in the Spanish capital to reach the last eight of the continental competition. They can come into this match against Juventus absolutely brimming with confidence.
Juventus, by way of comparison, look to have wrapped up another Serie A title and can now turn their focus fully onto the Champions League. The Old Lady are at just 4.50 to win the title this term, with only Barcelona and Manchester City at shorter odds.
Juventus put in arguably the show of the round of 16, coming from two goals down to beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 on aggregate to reach this stage of the competition. The side will now be looking to carry that momentum into this match which they will be expecting to win on the road.
And while the betting is tight, it is indeed Juventus who come in as the favourites to win this first leg tie away from home. You can more than double your money by backing the Italian champions at 2.30 while Ajax, despite home advantage, come in at 3.40 – the same price you can get for a draw.
Looking at the odds to qualify for the semi-finals and the odds are more in Juventus’ favour. The Old Lady come in at 1.28 to progress, while Ajax are out at 3.50 to make the final four.
And we believe that Juventus will take the edge in this first leg tie as well. A narrow, 2-1 win for the Italians comes in at 9.00, meaning that a US$5 bet would lead to a US$45 pay out, while you can double your money by backing over 2.5 goals in the game at 2.00, according to Oddsshark.
United must make home advantage count against Barcelona
And on the same evening, United welcome soon to be Spanish league champions Barcelona to Old Trafford. United pulled off a miracle against PSG in the last round but the might of Barça may just be a bridge too far for the Red Devils.
Barcelona meanwhile find themselves in a situation similar to that of Juventus. Having as good as wrapped up the domestic crown they can now turn their attention to the continent, and they are priced at just 4.33 to win the Champions League this season, which could be their first since 2015.
Again, the betting is close but it is Barcelona who come in as the favourites to win this first leg tie. You can double your money by backing the Catalan club to take an advantage back to Camp Nou at 2.00, while United are out at 3.80 to win on home soil – a draw comes in just under at 3.75.
And a look at the odds over the two legs stacks the odds even further into Barcelona’s corner. Barça come in at just 1.22 to make the final four while United are out at 4.00 to progress in the continental competition.
And we are fully expecting Barça’s technical class to make the difference here. A 2-0 win for the visitors is priced competitively at 10.00, thereby offering a ten-fold return on any investment, while you can more than double your money by backing under 2.5 goals in the game at 2.10.
UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg ties:
Tuesday, 9 April
(1.28) Liverpool x FC Porto (12.00); draw (6.00)
(4.20) Tottenham Hotspur x Manchester City (1.90); draw (3.80)
Wednesday, 10 April
(3.40) Ajax x Juventus (2.30); draw (3.40)
(3.80) Manchester United x Barcelona (2.00); draw (3.75)
