THE Champions League final and the Epsom Derby headline a fantastic weekend of sporting action.

European heavyweights Real Madrid and Juventus will be slugging it out at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on Saturday evening (7.45pm kick-off) and the contest will be screened live on BT Sport 2.

The bookmakers predict a tight contest: Real are 5/6 to lift the trophy with Juve even money and in 90 minutes Los Blancos are 17/10 (Skybet), the Old Lady 2/1 (Betfred/Boylesports) and a draw 11/5 (Bet365).

Unsurprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo heads the first goalscorer market at 19/5 (Betvictor), but there are several alternatives. Gonzalo Higuain is 9/2 (Boylesports), Alvaro Morata 6/1, Paulo Dybala 13/2 (both prices Betvictor), Karin Benzema 7/1 (Bet365), Gareth Bale and Mario Mandzukic both 8/1 (Betvictor) and James Rodriguez 10/1 (Betstars). The layers think the match is likely to be a low-scoring affair; no goalscorer is 15/2 (Hills) and under 2.5 goals 13/20 (Betvictor). The over 2.5 bracket is priced at 7/5. Winning to nil (90 minutes only) might be a popular wager: Real are 10/3 (Betvictor/Skybet) and Juve 18/5 (Ladbrokes/Coral).

The match is a tough one to call as basically it is free-scoring Real lining up against a miserly defence in Juve. The Italians blanked Barcelona over two legs in their quarter-final and are the value to suffocate Real in a similar manner.

Prediction: Juventus 1 Real Madrid 0.

The Epsom Derby will be shown on ITV on Saturday afternoon (4.30pm) and it is an open-looking race. Cracksman edges favouritism at 4/1, Cliffs of Moher is 9/2 (Stan James), Eminent 7/1, Permian 11/1 (Bet365/Hills), Best Solution 12/1 (Paddy Power), Capri 12/1 (Coral), Venice Beach 14/1 (Bet365/Hills), Dubai Thunder 16/1 (Hills/Coral) and then the other 12 entrants are available at odds ranging from 25/1 to (in no-hoper Diore Lia’s case) 1,000/1.

None of the runners at the head of the market appear to have cast-iron credentials and the coveted prize could be collected by an unconsidered rival. Saeed bin Suroor is a trainer who enters horses in races to win, not scrap it out for minor prize money and his Dubai Thunder, who has run once, trouncing his rivals by 10 lengths and upwards at Newbury, is an each-way selection at 16/1.

Prediction: 1st Dubai Thunder, 2nd Cracksman, 3rd Best Solution.

The Epsom Oaks takes place the day before (ITV, 4.30pm) and Rhododendron is odds on at 10/11. Enable is 5/1 (Paddy Power), Coronet 9/1, Natavia and Horseplay both 12/1, Sobetsu 14/1 (Hills) and Alluring 20/1. The remainder of the 16-strong field is priced at 25/1 and bigger. The favourite could rout the field but there are enough interesting opponents that could prove to be a thorn in Rhododendron’s side. Assuming Horseplay does not act the fool in the preliminaries, he can reward each-way support at 12/1.

Prediction: 1st Horseplay, 2nd Rhododendron, 3rd Enable.