Football Bet of the Day: High-scoring affair on the cards at Etihad

Manchester City entertain Real Madrid in a mammoth Champions League play-off first leg tie at the Etihad on Tuesday evening (20:00, live on Prime Video).

The hosts needed to pull off a come-from-behind victory to avoid an early exit on matchday eight, while Madrid were just one point away from automatic qualification for the last 16. Read on for Tuesday's football bet of the day, which comes from the Etihad.

Football Odds

Manchester City vs Real Madrid Odds

As mentioned in the introduction, Man City needed to come from behind to beat Club Brugge on matchday eight and avoid an early exit from this season's Champions League.

Pep Guardiola's side also had to come from a goal down to beat Leyton Orient in the FA Cup on Saturday, and the Citizens remain well off the pace in the Premier League - 15 points behind leaders Liverpool.

Madrid have issues of their own heading to the Etihad, as they've failed to win any of their clashes with La Liga's top four, which includes a 4-0 home defeat to Barcelona, as well as a 5-2 thumping in the Super Cup at the hands of their arch rivals last month.

It's clear when examining the pair's recent results that there will be defensive frailties on show on Tuesday evening, which is why I've opted for over 3.5 goals.

City could have some joy going forward as over 3.5 goals has landed in eight of their previous nine encounters across all competitions, and their Champions League campaign has been littered with goals.

Guardiola's side have been involved in high-scoring affairs with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain (4-2 defeat) and Feyenoord (3-3 draw). Overall, City's last seven matches on the European stage have featured four or more goals.

It's well documented that Madrid have plenty of firepower within their ranks, and they've scored three or more goals in seven of their previous nine on the road. However, they've shipped multiple efforts against the likes of Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Liverpool and Atalanta during their European campaign this term.

Ultimately, both sides have elite attacking options, but lack the defensive stability to seize control of the game, which could lead to a high-scoring contest at the Etihad on Tuesday.

The two sides played out a 3-3 draw in the quarter-final first leg at the Bernabeu last season, so I could see a similar scoreline playing out here. City may still be wounded by the 5-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal at the start of the month, but I think Guardiola will attempt to fight fire with fire here, and turn this game into an attacking shoot-out.

Offers

Tuesday (11/02): Build your own Bet Builder bet (3/1+) of 4+ legs on Man City v Real Madrid and get 100% of your stake back in Free Bets up to £10 if you lose. (Credited within 24 hours)

Double Delight Hat-trick Heaven: Get double or treble the odds if your winning First Goalscorer bet scores a 2nd and 3rd

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down

You can read all our latest Football Bets of the Day at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.