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Champions League Results 2021: Top Scorers, Odds After Semifinal Leg 1 Scores
April 28, 2021
Manchester City showcased its ability with a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal.
There is still a lot of drama ahead in the European competition, especially after Chelsea and Real Madrid finished their first leg in a 1-1 draw Tuesday.
Manchester City were the favorites to win the title entering the week after dominating this competition and the Premier League so far in 2020-21. Wednesday's result has only strengthened the team's standing in the latest odds to win the title, via DraftKings.
2021 Champions League Winner Odds
- Manchester City (-150)
- Chelsea (+350)
- Real Madrid (+475)
- Paris Saint-Germain (+800)
PSG is still clearly a formidable team thanks to the attacking talent on its roster, including two players among the top scorers in Champions League this year. However, everyone is still chasing Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland for the tournament lead.
UCL Top Scorers
- 10: Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
- 8: Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
- 6: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Alvaro Morata (Juventus), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
- 5: Alassane Plea (Borussia Monchengladbach), Ciro Immobile (Lazio) Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Sergio Oliveira (Porto)
Full list available at UEFA.com.
Haaland's Borussia Dortmund was eliminated in the quarterfinals, but his production during the early rounds could make him difficult to catch.
Kylian Mbappe and Neymar will still have the opportunity to add more goals to their resumes with at least one more match and possibly two if Paris Saint-Germain is able to advance to the final.
The path forward could be difficult despite an early goal from Marquinhos off a corner kick from Angel Di Maria:
It was the third goal for Marquinhos in nine UCL matches this year, although he knows how to come through in big moments:
Manchester City appeared to be in trouble in the first half with PSG creating most of the opportunities, but the English club showed what it could do in the second.
Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez each scored in a span of seven minutes with perfectly placed balls from outside the box:
De Bruyne might have been intending a cross, but it counted as a much-needed equalizer for Manchester City before Mahrez put his club on top in the 71st minute.
It also showed the depth of Manchester City, which has goals from 12 different players in this competition but none with more than four goals.
After Idrissa Gueye was sent off with a red card in the 77th minute, Manchester City was able to cruise to an easy win and a big advantage in the two-legged battle with two away goals.
In the first semifinal, Karim Benzema climb the list of goal-scorers thanks to an incredible volley for Real Madrid:
It came after American Christian Pulisic got onto the scoresheet for Chelsea with a calm finish in front of goal:
Both clubs played well enough to win, but the two sides will go into the second leg looking for more offense to advance. Chelsea's away goal will help, although it might not be enough to guarantee a spot in the final.
Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain will conclude their tie next Tuesday, while Chelsea will host Real Madrid on Wednesday.
For all the latest betting information and reaction, check out B/R Betting.
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