If you are going to be wagering on Real Madrid against the odds at sports betting companies in the next few weeks you need to be aware that winger Cristiano Ronaldo is out due to injury.
Does his injury really matter to Madrid? The answer in sports betting is somewhat mixed since there is no question Ronaldo is a great talent but he doesn’t always score goals.
Sports betting companies favored Madrid in their opener against Mallorca and Madrid laid a big egg in a scoreless draw. Those who bet on Madrid at Sbg Global lost right off the bat to start the season. Ronaldo injured his ankle in that game and is expected to miss the next three weeks.
Ronaldo Will Miss Match vs. Osasuna and Champions League Match vs. Ajax – Ronaldo will miss Real Madrid’s next match against Osasuna on September 12th and he will also miss Madrid’s Champions League match against Ajax on September 15th.
Ronaldo Out for Portugal as Well – In addition to missing league games over the next three weeks, Ronaldo will also miss Portugal’s 2012 European Championship qualifiers against Cyprus and Norway.
Madrid Still has Talent – Losing Ronaldo hurts but Real Madrid still has a lot of talented players. They are looking at Karim Benzema or Mesut Ozil to fill in while Ronaldo is out. Madrid will also be without Lassana Diarra who was also injured in the draw vs. Mallorca. The loss of Lassana does hurt Madrid as he can’t be as easily replaced. He will miss France’s Euro qualifiers against Belarus and Bosnia.
Early Pressure on Madrid – It is only one match but Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho expects a lot more out of his team than he got in a scoreless draw with Mallorca. Ronaldo actually played well in that match and generated some good scoring chances along with Gonzalo Higuain. Now Madrid will be counting on Ozil and Benzema to create chances in their next match vs. Osasuna. Madrid will need a very good outing in their second match as they have already fallen behind Barcelona who won 3-0 in their season opener against Racing Santander. Even though it is early, it is critical that Madrid not fall any further behind Barcelona in the standings.