Wednesday Football Tips: Benzema to fire again in 8/1 double

It’s the Champions League semi-final second leg between Real Madrid and Manchester City at the Bernabeu on Wednesday, and as well as a full preview of the game here on BettingOdds.com, we’ve asked @AnthonyEadson to provide us with his best Bet Builder Tips.

Viewers of the first leg between these two sides were given an absolute treat with one of the most extraordinary European knockout matches of recent years. City came out 4-3 winners on the night thanks to goals from Kevin de Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden. 

Pep Guardiola will be well aware that Real Madrid overcame a 1-0 deficit after the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain in the last-16 to dump the French side out of the competition, and there’s no denying that there is still plenty of work to be done here as City go in search of that all elusive Champions League trophy.  

I’ve picked out a Bet Builder double for this match that I like the look of that has been given a little boost by the good folk over at Paddy Power, from 6/1 out to a very backable 8/1. Add directly to your betslip by clicking the link below.

Karim Benzema is having a truly remarkable season and as we approach the back end of the campaign, the Frenchman is currently the 4/7 favourite with William Hill to claim the Ballon d’Or. Real Madrid were confirmed La Liga winners at the weekend, with a 4-0 win over Espanyol where Benzema came off the bench with half an hour remaining and got himself on the scoresheet. 

That was Benzema’s 26th goal in 30 league appearances in 2021/2022 and when we look at his figures in Europe this season, they make even better reading. The 34-year-old has scored an astonishing 14 goals in just 10 appearances in the Champions League this season, averaging 4.2 shots per game. 

Three of those came in a memorable hat-trick against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the quarter-finals, while he also grabbed himself a brace at the Etihad last week. The audacity to produce a panenka penalty in a game of such magnitude showed how confident the four-time Champions League winner is at the moment. He has scored 56% of his side's goals in Europe this season, a larger percentage than any other player for their club this term.

As well as backing Benzema to find the net in Spain, I’m also touting Vinicius Junior to provide an assist anytime in the match. This pair have been really effective in terms of link up this season, and have scored or assisted each other for nine goals in La Liga. In the Champions League, Vinicius has assisted Benzema five times this season, which is more than any other duo in the competition. 

The Brazilian has really upped his output for Madrid this season, providing 32 goal contributions in 43 appearances across La Liga and the Champions League. Vinicius has registered five assists in his last seven appearances for Los Blancos and he can provide another here in a potentially high-scoring game with City. 

The bookmakers fancy goals here, with Over 2.5 goals being on offer as short as 4/9 with some firms. If the first leg is anything to go by we could be in for another barnstormer on Wednesday evening. Best of luck to those following and please gamble responsibly.