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Real Madrid flirted with qualification for the Champions League semi-finals against Bayern, but in the end, Eduardo Camavinga's red card and goals from Luis Diaz and Michael Olise tipped the scales in the home side's favour. Álvaro Arbeloa's side looked better than in the first leg, although they were subdued at times by the Bavarians. Now, with La Liga's title chances virtually non-existent, the aim is to improve the image as much as possible and look to next season. Changes are expected in the squad and on the bench after finding themselves nine points behind Barcelona and having hardly any goals in April. It should be remembered that the Merengues come into this match having lost in Mallorca (2-1) and having drawn at home against Girona (1-1).
If the urgency of Los Blancos is more about image than qualification, Deportivo Alavés are quite the opposite. The Babazorros are only one point and one place above relegation, meaning every detail can be the difference between the glory of La Liga and the hell of the Second Division. The arrival of Quique Sánchez Flores has revitalised a team that has lost just one of five games under his tenure, although they have only won one. The coach made his debut at Mestalla against Valencia in a 3-2 defeat, drew 1-1 at home to Villarreal and staged an epic comeback against Celta, where they came from 3-0 down to win 3-4. In their last two games, the Vitoria-based side drew 2-2 at home to Osasuna and played out an electric 3-3 draw at Anoeta against Real Sociedad.
Real Madrid v Alavés Tips
Both teams to score - 4/5 @ bet365
Kylian Mbappé to score - 1/2 @ bet365
Over 3.5 goals - @2.2 (bet365)
Odds correct at time of writing, subject to change.
Madrid struggle to keep a clean sheet
Our first prediction leans towards a game with goals from both teams. On the home side, it's quite logical to think that Alvaro Arbeloa's side will score at least one goal. It is no secret that the favourites to win this match are Real Madrid, who have scored at least one goal in nine consecutive matches. But what makes this selection interesting and juicy is the option of Alavés also scoring.
Here, two stats unite in favour of this theory. The first points directly to Madrid, who have not kept a clean sheet in seven official matches in a row. And when it comes only to La Liga, the figure rises to eight. The last time they did not concede in the top division was on the 8th of February, when they won 2-0 at Valencia. For their part, Alavés have scored in their last five matches, that is to say, in all of them since Quique took over the babazorro bench.
Tip: Both teams to score - 4/5 @ bet365
Bet Explanation: This bet wins if Real Madrid and Alavés score at least one goal each.
Mbappé to find the net again
Kylian Mbappé is back, but he wants to be back in La Liga too. The French striker scored half of his team's goals in the Champions League quarter-finals, scoring in both the first leg and the second leg. However, since his knee injury, he has yet to celebrate a goal in the domestic league, where he came off the bench against Atlético Madrid before starting and playing every minute in the defeat at Mallorca and the draw against Girona, scoring in neither.
Mbappé's last league goal was on the 8th of February in Valencia (coincidentally, the same date as the last clean sheet for Los Blancos). He blanked against Osasuna just before the injury, after which he has only scored for France against Brazil and in the aforementioned tie against Bayern. For all these reasons, Mbappé comes into this match with a ferocious hunger to continue to add to his astronomical numbers, but which have been slowed down in the last two months. He scored in the first leg, in the 2-1 win at Mendizorroza, and has scored 40 goals in 39 official games for Madrid this term, 23 of them in 26 league games.
Tip: Kylian Mbappé to score - 1/2 @ bet365
Bet Explanation: This bet is a winner if Mbappé scores at least one goal at any time in this match.
Quique revolutionises Alavés
Alavés have changed since Quique Sánchez Flores arrived, and that has been noticeable, especially in the number of goals the Vitoria side have scored in their matches. The babazorros had already had competitive matches on the scoreboard before his arrival, but, with him, this dynamic has intensified. Of the five matches played with this coach, the 3.5 goals were surpassed in four of them. There were seven against Celta, six against Real, five against Valencia and four against Osasuna. Only in the 1-1 draw with Villarreal did they fall below this figure.
Real Madrid have been held back in this respect recently, although they come into the game on the back of seven goals in Munich, in a tie with a total of 10 goals. They also surpassed the three-goal mark in the 3-2 win over Atlético Madrid in the penultimate game of the league campaign, while they were on three against Mallorca and two against Girona. Despite this, the team now needs to convince the fans and go all out from the start to clean up the bad image they have at the moment.
Tip: Over 3.5 goals - @2.2 (bet365)
Bet Explanation: To win, there must be a total of four or more goals between the two teams.
The odds for Real Madrid v Alavés
Real Madrid win - 3/10 @ bet365
Odds correct at time of writing, subject to change.
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Odds correct at time of writing, subject to change.