FIFA Club World Cup Semi-Final Best Bets: Flamengo & Real Madrid Advance Forward

profile image of David Manyun
real-madrids-forward-vinicius-junior-celebrates-aspect-ratio-16-9
Real Madrid's forward Vinicius Junior (R) celebrates scoring his team's second goal on February 2, 2023. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / AFP)

Soccer Pick: Flamengo ML (-250) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)

BetOnline logo
Flamengo ML (-250)
Visit Site

The FIFA Club World Cup is three games away from crowning its 2023 champion, and we’ve arrived to cover your sports betting needs for the semi-final fixtures to help you discover the games with the most significant betting value for the soccer picks for these great matchups.  

With a placement in the competition final up for grabs, can any of the remaining teams out-perform Real Madrid and prevent a European powerhouse from claiming the title once again?  

Let’s waste no time and dive into the betting markets, as top-rated sportsbooks have released their updated odds for Flamengo vs. Al-Hilal, and Al Ahly vs. Real Madrid.    

Check out the best US Betting Sites available in order to make secure wagers in your own home state


Flamengo vs. Al-Hilal SFC

Tuesday, February 7, 2023 – 02:00 PM EST at Stade Ibn-Batouta 

Flamengo  

The reigning, defending Copa Libertadores champions return to the FIFA Club World Cup versus a team they’re all too familiar with.  

The Brazilians will return to the competition for the first time since 2019 when they lost to Liverpool in the final on penalties. However, their bid to compete in the finals arose from a semi-final success over their Tuesday opponents Al-Hilal, and the Saudis will be out for revenge.  

It’s been more than ten years since a Brazilian side lifted the FIFA Club World Cup trophy. Still, Flamengo hopes to become the third club from the Brasileiro Serie A to reach a final from the previous four editions of this competition and their second finals appearance in four years.  

Regarding the current form, Flamengo is in fine shape. They lost to their bitter rivals Palmeiras in the Supercopa do Brasil final last month. Still, outside of this disappointing result, they’ve remained undefeated in their previous six Campeonato Carioca Serie A meetings while allowing one goal or less in each of those games.  

Teams from CONMEBOL have reached the FIFA Club World Cup in 13 of the 18 finals since its inception, but the Corinthians have been the only club to capture the trophy during this competition’s existence.    

Al-Hilal 

Al-Hilal were gifted a lifeline during the previous round of the FIFA Club World Cup, where they captured a position in the semi-finals due to a handball, penalty, and the arrival of extra time. They’ll be thanking the hand and feet of Yahia Attiyat Allah, the player who gifted them a handball inside the box and also missed his strike in the penalty shootout, thus sending Al-Hilal through to face Flamengo.  

We expect Ramon Diaz to remind his squad how they owned Flamengo the last time these two sides met at this competition. Holding a 1-0 lead for 45 minutes, however, collapsed in the second, and from a 49th-minute equalizer, Al-Hilal later fell apart to concede two goals in the game’s final 15 minutes.  

Al-Hilal has allowed no more than one goal all year, and in their domestic outings, they’ve suffered one mere defeat.

Furthermore, they’ve scored in all but one game this year and haven’t been prevented from scoring in a domestic match since October 2022.    

Flamengo vs. Al-Hilal Betting Pick 

Flamengo’s regional performances speak for themselves, as they’re no strangers to competing in the latter stages of South American club competitions.

They possess a robust backline that can undoubtedly break Al-Hilal’s goal-scoring trend, and they’re the fresher team of the two in a game where fresh legs can truly prevail.  

Al-Hilal went deep into extra time and penalties last time; we believe their attacking capabilities will be compromised because of this, and the Brazilians will capitalize and see another FIFA Club World Cup final.    

Score Prediction: Flamengo 2 – Al-Hilal 1  

Soccer Pick: Flamengo ML (-250) [2.50u wager returns 1u] at BetOnline 


Al Ahly SC vs. Real Madrid CF

Wednesday, February 8, 2023 – 02:00 PM EST at Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah    

Al Ahly   

The attacking prowess of Al Ahly should be noted, as Mohamed Sherif and Perc Tau have produced a wonderful combination for Egyptian soccer in recent months. Both players found the net in their victory over Auckland City and could undoubtedly be a lifeline for Al Ahly’s goal-scoring chances versus the formidable Real Madrid.  

However, arguing a case for the Egyptian club to win this game is difficult. There’s no denying this team’s path to the semi-final is commendable, as one of the only teams that have endured the fourth and third rounds to reach this stage.  

A win 3-0 win over Auckland was followed by a 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders, and Ah Ahly is undeniably worthy of reaching the tournament.

Still, no matter how in-form they’ve been in this competition and domestically, Marcel Koller’s squad hasn’t faced a team like Real Madrid during their Egyptian Premier League success.  

Real Madrid  

Real Madrid, on the other hand, hasn’t produced the perfect results that are expected as they head into the tournament. They’ll enter the FIFA Club World Cup following a recent 1-0 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup and a 1-0 La Liga loss to Mallorca last Sunday.  

Wednesday’s meeting with Al Ahly is likely to produce a different story. The Spanish giants are the most dominant team in FIFA Club World Cup history, with four titles to their name.  

Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti won’t be pleased with his squad’s recent outings.

Still, the Mallorca defeat was notably their first loss in six games, and during this stretch, they’ve overcome Valencia, Atletico Madrid, and Athletic Bilbao.    

Al Ahly vs. Real Madrid Betting Pick 

Let’s keep it transparent; Real owns the far superior squad regarding player quality. In addition, their experience in this competition hasn’t delivered any upsets against lesser-known teams such as Ah Ahly.  

You can never underestimate an underdog, but in this scenario, it’s Real Madrid’s game to lose, and we anticipate a complete dismantling with the likes of Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior, and Marco Asensio fielding the pitch for Los Blancos.    

Score Prediction: Real Madrid 4 – Al Ahly 1   

Soccer Pick: Real Madrid -½ Pt. Goal Line (-134) [1.34u wager returns 1u] at BetOnline     

BetOnline logo
Real Madrid -½ Pt. Goal Line (-134)
Visit Site

*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.