Ramos can’t pull the wool with Real Madrid underdog comments
Published:It’s an obvious ploy from Sergio Ramos designed to heap pressure onto Atletico Madrid ahead of the biggest game in club football, but there’s no way Real Madrid can be considered underdogs for the Champions League final.
Los Blancos stalwart Ramos has come out in the build up to the Madrid derby to end all derbies, by suggesting it’s the freshly-crowned La Liga champions who are the favourites.
“We are up against a great team in Atletico Madrid who, from my point of view, are the favourites,” the Spain international said.
However, you only have to look at the way Ladbrokes have scored the contest, before starting to see through the statement.
The bookies go with Real as the real favourites at 17/20, while Atleti are given odds of 10/3 to make it the most successful season in the club’s history with victory.
Considering what Atleti have already achieved in winning their first Spanish title since 1996 and breaking the decade-long duopoly of Barcelona and their city rivals in the process, their price has no small appeal, that much is true.
But based on other evidence to the contrary, the ‘La Decima’-chasing rivals are in better shape both in terms of available personnel and recent head-to-heads.
Although Diego Simeone is being guarded about the fitness of his star striker, Diego Costa, the fact the naturalised Spaniard suffered a hamstring tear against Barcelona just a week prior makes it virtually impossible for him to make the showpiece.
Furthermore, Arda Turan is also a major doubt, blunting Atleti’s attacking threat still further, whereas Carlo Ancelotti looks set to be able to include both Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo in his starting XI.
Meanwhile, since losing to Atleti at the Bernabeu 1-0 way back in September, Ancelotti has orchestrated a 5-0 Copa Del Rey whitewash over two legs and a 2-2 draw at the Vicente Calderon in La Liga.
Nice try though Sergio.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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