La Liga Leaders Can Claim Advantage

The things we should be most anticipating from the first Champions League semi-final are a close encounter and a low scoring tie. Atletico are 10/11 (Betfred) to progress while Chelsea are only a fraction longer at evens (Boylesports).

The Spaniards merit their favouritism given that they lead La Liga, remain unbeaten in the Champions League and have conceded the fewest goals in the competition. They knocked out Barcelona in the last round courtesy of a 1-1 draw in the Nou Camp followed by a 1-0 victory on their own patch.

This time Diego Simeone’s boys play at Estadio Vicente Calderon first and another 1-0 home win looks like a snip at best odds of 5/1 with Paddy Power. The biggest reason we should side with the Irish firm is that they are offering your money back if the first leg ends as a draw. In such a potentially tight contest, this is a gift.

* If the match ends in a draw, Paddy Power will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score & Scorecast singles on the match as a free bet.