SportyBet: Napoli vs Real Madrid Preview [UEFA Champions League]

Madrid go into the game with a 3-1 aggregate lead following their win at the Bernabeu, in the first leg.

Napoli are still hunting for their first ever UEFA Champions League quarterfinal qualification and will need to overturn the first leg defeat against Real Madrid to get into the next stage.

Madrid go into the game with a 3-1 aggregate lead following their win at the Bernabeu, in the first leg.

Real Madrid are the current Champions League title holders and qualified for this stage as runners up to Borussia Dortmund in Group F. For Napoli, this is their second ever round of 16 appearance in the UEFA Champions League.

 

Zidane's side are seeking to become the first team in Champions League history to retain the trophy. But they face a Napoli team who are third in Serie A and have lost only twice at home in the league all season and once in the Champions League at Stadio San Paolo. Napoli's previous Champions League knockout experience came at this stage of the 2011-12 campaign, when they won the home first leg 3-1 to put themselves in control of their tie against Chelsea, only for Chelsea to come back and overturn the deficit at Stamford Bridge with a 4-1 win after extra time. This got them eliminated in the round of 16.

Napoli's form has dropped of late, with Maurizio Sarri's side having lost three of their last five matches after an impressive run of 18 matches without loss going into the first leg of this tie. Victory over Roma on Saturday saw them return to winning ways. SportyBet quote Napoli at (2.87) to win tonight and reach the quarter-finals of this competition for the first time in their history.

 

Madrid travel to Naples on an 11-game European unbeaten run, and should they not lose on Tuesday night then they would set a new club record in Champions League. A win for them is available at (2.30) by SportyBet to achieve this. Madrid have not won back-to-back Champions League games since this stage of the previous season, when they eliminated Italian opposition AS Roma. 

In the first leg against Napoli, Lorenzo Insigne's early goal had put Sarri's side ahead. But Benzema, Toni Kroos and Casemiro all scored to put Real Madrid in command. In tonight's tie, for Real Madrid - Cristiano Ronaldo heads the first goalscorer betting at (4.68). He sat out the weekend's 4-1 victory over Eibar due to a minor injury concern, but is expected to start in this tie.

Dries Mertens who scored a brace to beat Roma 2-1 at the weekend, but picked up a knock in that game is also expected to return for Napoli. With six of Napoli’s last nine Champions League goals been either scored (4) or assisted (2) by Dries Mertens, he is priced at (2.30) by SportyBet to score tonight.

Karim Benzema has scored in each of his last four Champions League games, scoring five goals in total; but he has never scored in five consecutive games in the competition. A goal tonight for Benzema, to score in five consecutive games in the Champions League comes at (2.30). 

Madrid have won only one of their last nine Champions League games away in Italy; the win in that run came at this stage in last year's Champions League though.

Napoli will almost certainly need to keep a clean sheet which comes high at (4.60) with SportyBet and an early goal which will make them the first team to score at (1.97) would certainly excite their fans and put Real Madrid on the back foot. A draw in this tie is available at (3.74).

Bale returns following a one-match domestic ban. Kroos, Dani Carvajal and Marcelo who were all also left on the bench at the weekend should return to start.

Allan is the only doubt for the hosts, with Raul Albiol and Jose Callejon both available to play against their former club.

Form Guide:

Real Madrid:

Recent form (all competitions): WWLWDW

Napoli:

Recent form (all competitions): WLWLLW

SportyBet, as recommended by Nigerian football legend Kanu Nwankwo offers one of the highest odds in Nigeria. Click here to register with SportyBet now to place your bets and earn big.

Follow SportyBet on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

from pulse.ng - Nigeria's entertainment & lifestyle platform online http://ift.tt/2lSVUZs
via IFTTT