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All eyes on Rome and all eyes on Cristiano Ronaldo Wednesday as his team goes up against Barcelona in the big Champions League Final.
Ronaldo is the favorite to score first, promising a payout of US$600 for every US$100 bet should he score first or last in the final. Anytime pays out nearly 2/1 odds. The hat trick pays out US$4000 for every US100 bet.
Cristiano Ronaldo scoring two or more pays US$1000 for every US$100 bet.
Ronaldo as Man of the Match is listed with close to 4/1 odds.
There are even Ronaldo vs. Messi goal scorer match bets where Ronaldo pays close to 3/1 odds vs. Messi paying just over 3/1 odds.
The Times of London suggested that the flow of Messi's running provides more aesthetic pleasure than Ronaldo's stop-start turns, but it is effectiveness that will matter in a final, and the experts seem to be leaning towards the United player when it comes to predicting supremacy.
"This can be the match that decides the Ballon d'Or 2009 [won by Ronaldo last year with Messi second]," said Fabio Capello, the England manager. "Messi's form has been explosive over three quarters of the season, when he has undoubtedly been the best player in the world. But in the last three months Ronaldo has become Ronaldo again, and he is now perhaps fitter than Messi."
There are a few things to consider when betting on (or against) Ronaldo.
Ronaldo, the top scorer in last year's competition with eight goals, has not scored in his six matches against Spanish opposition and missed an early penalty at the Nou Camp in last year's semi-final first leg against Barcelona.
Ronaldo tends to roam much more widely over the pitch and Barca centre back Gerard Pique, who spent several seasons at United, is being touted in the Spanish media as the "anti-Cristiano".
After a slow start to the season after he recovered from surgery, the Portuguese began to score regularly again as United closed in on the Premier League title.
His goal in the second leg of the quarter-final against Porto and the two he scored against Arsenal in the semi-finals were among the best of the season in the competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo betting odds and all Champions League odds can be found at Sportingbet.com
Alistair Prescott, Gambling911.com
