Expect Real to beat LA Galaxy in high-scoring affair
Real Madrid have been involved in two goal-laden friendlies so far and their fixture away at the Home Depot Center could well be another one, says Shaun Curran.
Of all the club ‘prestige’ friendlies across the globe this summer, few will be able to match the hype and glamour of the one taking place at the Home Depot Center on Friday.
LA Galaxy are billing the visit of Real Madrid as the ‘meeting of champions’, which I suppose is technically true given that the American side won the MLS play-offs last year, but everyone in Los Angeles will be in no doubt that Los Blancos are the star attraction and the meeting of the two sides will be among the most celebrated fixtures of the summer.
Professional speed boat driver and some-time footballer David Beckham will no doubt be involved against his old club (he only bothers turning up for the ones he fancies playing in), although for once the former Real Madrid publicity-seeker extraordinaire could be upstaged, this time by Real Madrid’s current publicity-seeker extraordinaire (and for once, I’m not talking about their manager).
With Cristiano Ronaldo in town, the fight for attention between him and Beckham will probably make the pomp of the Olympic opening ceremony look like a village fete (could you imagine the pair of them fighting over a mirror?)
| Primera Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levante | 1-1 | Rayo Vallecano | £120.00 | (5/1) |
| Levante | 1-0 | Rayo Vallecano | £165.00 | (29/4) |
| Levante | 2-1 | Rayo Vallecano | £180.00 | (8/1) |
| Levante win | £49.00 | (29/20) | ||
| Draw | £66.00 | (23/10) | ||
| Rayo Vallecano win | £56.00 | (9/5) | ||
But the main difference is that while Beckham has long been a spent force, Ronaldo is at the peak of his powers and going into a new La Liga season, the preening Portuguese will once again carry the burden of being Madrid’s main man.
With Cristiano Ronaldo in town, the fight for attention between him and Beckham will probably make the pomp of the Olympic opening ceremony look like a village fete (could you imagine the pair of them fighting over a mirror?)
Not that he would have it any other way. The £80 million man loves nothing more than being the centre of attention, but his performances consistently demand that he gets his wish.
Following a brilliant season in which he scored 56 league goals as Madrid won La Liga in style, Ronaldo was sensational (after a slow start) during Euro 2012 and playing the best football of his career, the former Manchester United star will be pivotal to Madrid’s hopes of glory this year in the Champions League – surely the trophy they covet above all others.
The match against the Galaxy is the next step in a pre-season programme that is about to step up in intensity (game-wise, anyhow) and bwin make the Spaniards favourites at 7/25. LA are 25/4, with the draw at 17/4, and whatever way you look at this match, it has ‘goals’ written all over it.
Madrid have already had two pre-season outings and they ended up in the sort of results coach Jose Mourinho once famously described as ‘basketball’ scores. A 5-1 win over Real Oviedo was followed by a 5-2 defeat against Benfica and as the players ease their way back into fitness, I expect the big scorelines to keep coming.
Madrid scored 121 goals last year and possess no less of a threat, meaning even in the full swing of their season, LA Galaxy are up against it. But only one side in the entire MLS have scored more goals than Los Angeles this year and with Madrid still getting back into the groove, Galaxy will fancy their chances of finding the net.
So my advice here would be the 6/5 that Madrid win a match that sees over 3.5 goals. Last year, 23 of Real’s league games had over 3.5 goals and given their form in pre-season, this could be another high-scoring affair.
Recommended bet: Real Madrid to win and over 3.5 goals @ 6/5
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