Real Madrid vs Juventus
These two squads have met multiple times in international competitions before, but never before has a Juventus-Real Madrid match had an air of uncertainty this intense.
The main reason why their ICC friendly is an important game can be pointed back to one person, and Juventus’ new man is probably loving every single bit of attention that is being thrown his way. The fact that they have had interesting Champions League matches in the past two years is just the additional icing on the cake.
Of course, we can still expect quality action from both sides whether Cristiano Ronaldo is on the pitch for the Bianconeri or is told to sit out of the game by Massimiliano Allegri. However, every single soul with their eyes on this match hopes that CR7 suits up against his former club.
Talking Points
The elephant in the room is the giant transaction that occurred between Los Blancos and I Bianconeri during the start of the transfer season. Nobody expected Ronaldo to leave the club that represents him as much as he represents them. However, he shocked everyone when he was sold to the Turin club for €100 million.
His arrival brings about varying winds of change, depending on which party you asked. As discussed in a previous piece, Ronaldo’s shift to Juventus’ black and white is a great boon for the media interest in the Italian top flight. Meanwhile, the storied Madrid club and the Spanish league would have to brace themselves from the predictable and unforeseen losses they will have to endure after Ronaldo’s departure.
Moreover, rumours of World Cup darling Luka Modric jumping ship and joining Juve rivals Inter Milan is also circulating. While Real Madrid president Florentino Perez insisted that the Croatian will only leave the Bernabeu for a ridiculous fee, fans cannot be comfortable with the future of their remaining stars until the summer window closes shut.
However, this is a huge chance for many of Madrid’s disregarded talents to put their best foot forward and impress new boss Julen Lopetegui and take over the gaping hole CR7 occupied in their formation.
Some of the players that could step up in his stead include Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Martin Odegaard, and Isco. They will likely take the place of Ronaldo in the middle, and all of them will get a chance to audition during this match to erase their defeat to Manchester United that has made its way to many ICC 2018 news.
Meanwhile, Juventus are having a brilliant season while the Galacticos are still looking for their Ronaldo-shaped replacement. They started their offseason with a convincing win against Bayern Munich and have won the following fixtures. And all of this is done without Ronaldo suiting up.
However, a big source of concern for the Juve faithful would be the synergy between Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala. They have already moved Gonzalo Higuain to accommodate Ronaldo, but it’s still uncertain as to how the two attacking stars will coexist on the same pitch. It is possible (and very likely) that the Argentina international will play a supporting role to Ronaldo.
It will still be interesting to see how they will integrate the Portugal captain to their side, and Allegri has a chance to check out his star man now that he has started training full-time with the team. He has already started tinkering with 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 to figure out which formations would suit Ronaldo’s play style the best.
History
Real Madrid vs Juventus odds are in big favour of the Galacticos if we only consider their equally intriguing match histories as the barometer of their success in this match.
They exclusively met in the Champions League, and almost every game had Ronaldo donning a Real Madrid shirt. The most lopsided result was the 2017 Champions League final where Ronaldo scored a brace to help Real Madrid win 4-1 in Cardiff.
Of course, their duels in the 2018 iteration of the tournament must also be mentioned as well. It was during the first leg where Ronaldo showed his supreme football skills with a bicycle-kick goal. The Juventus crowd easily applauded the Portuguese’s efforts, and it was that moment that probably sold the club as a destination for him to go to after the World Cup.
What are the odds?
The SBOBET ICC page offers interesting odds for this game.
Real Madrid are still looked upon by bookies to win this friendly, with the 1X2 market booking them at 2.22. However, the Asian Handicap market offers equally impressive odds in favour of the Serie A champions: Juventus +0.25 @ 2.01 is a good bet that is too hard to miss.
I think both teams will be able to score more than one goal in this friendly, making Over 3.00 Goals is an attractive option at 2.13. I also think that both teams will be able to score in the first half, so Over 1.25 Goals in the First Half Over Under market is a decent buy at 2.14.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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