Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid 2019 International Champions Cup Odds & Preview

Real Madrid opened their International Champions Cup slate with a 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich in Houston on July 20, and then drew with Arsenal three days later, winning thanks to penalty kicks. Atletico Madrid has only played one match so far, drawing in a scoreless match against Chivas Guadalajara in Dallas, winning thanks to penalty kicks as well. Now the two titans of Madrid soccer meet on the outskirts of New York City in a derby far from home. Can Real Madrid get their first regulation win of the International Champions Cup and make a statement against their crosstown rivals? Or will Atletico continue the frustration that bedevil the Real fans with their high expectations? We have your sports betting preview for this match right here.

Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid 2019 International Champions Cup Odds & Preview

🇺🇸🗽 New York! Start spreading the news… #RealMadridIsHere! pic.twitter.com/PEWcXigiga

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) July 24, 2019

• When: Friday, July 26, 2019, 7:30pm ET
• Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: None
• Live Stream: ESPN+
• Soccer Odds: Real Madrid 0.5 (+106)

Why should you bet on Real Madrid?

The biggest surprise for Real Madrid in this match did not come from the impact that new transfer Eden Hazard had, but instead on the goal that Gareth Bale scored after coming in off the bench. Both teams were down to 10 men thanks to a pair of red cards, but then Bale came on (despite having refused to play in the team’s match with Bayern Munich) and scored less than ten minutes later. Real had lost Nacho to a red card thanks to handball in the area, and Arsenal had seized the early lead with the spot kick. Then, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made it 2-0 minutes later. Then, Sokratis Papastathopoulos was sent off with a pair of bookings, and Real leveled, thanks to Bale’s tally in the 56th minute and then the equalizer from Marco Asensio. Bale also brought heroics on the defensive end, clearing a ball off the goal line in the waning minutes. The good news for Real came from the return of Bale, apparently into the good graces of manager Zinedine Zidane, at least for the time being, while Hazard continued to struggle to find a way to contribute to the attack. While Real struggled down a man, their ability to equalize quickly after seeing Arsenal go down to 10 men showed a chemistry that had been missing in their first two matches.

Why should you put your money on Atletico Madrid?

Atletico Madrid struggled mightily to preserve a clean sheet through regulation against Chivas Guadalajara, as Chivas dominated possession and was the more physical of the two sides. Both of these teams also found themselves down a man, as Atletico lost Marcos Llorente to a red card for pulling Alexis Vega down by his jersey when Vega looked like he had an excellent chance to score a goal. Carlos Villaneuva went off for Chivas in the 61st minute, getting his second yellow card of the match. Despite the edge that Chivas showed in terms of physicality and ball control, both teams put the same number of shots on net. Chivas had the advantage of not having to travel to the other side of the world; jet lag likely played a role in Atletico’s slow start. Ten substitutes came on for Atletico at halftime, but that did not dent Chivas’ spirited play. The fact that Chivas could not find the back of the net proved costly. If you like Atletico here, you see them mounting more of a spirited attack against their crosstown rivals, now that the time change is not as much of a factor.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

I was very impressed with Real’s improvement in their match against Arsenal. With that said, the lack of chemistry that Eden Hazard still shows with his new side could be a problem, and the issues between Gareth Bale and his manager could remain an issue as well. I see this match going to a 2-2 draw, with Atletico getting the extra point from penalty kicks.