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Favourable last-16 draw sees Manchester City installed as favourites ahead of Bayern Munich and Liverpool, while Paris Saint-Germain’s odds lengthen
The Champions League will return in February with Europe’s elite resuming battle to be crowned continental champions.
Defending champions Chelsea have a winnable looking tie in the last 16 against French side Lille but know that only Real Madrid have successfully defended the title in the modern era.
From the likes of Paris Saint-Germain to Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, GOAL has everything you need to know about the Champions League favourites, underdogs and outsiders.
Who are the favourites to win the Champions League?
Manchester City are 11/4(2.75) with bet365 to lift their first Champions League title this season. Pep Guardiola’s men will face Sporting in the last 16 and will be confident of progressing against the Portuguese side. Runners-up from last season, City will look to use the experience of playing in their first Champions League final to go one better this year and, in the group stage, they produced some impressive performances to finish above Paris Saint-Germain. They did, however, lose two of their three matches on the road in Group A and might be vulnerable away from the Etihad Stadium against top-quality opposition
Bayern Munich‘s odds to win the Champions League are at 7/2(3.5) and the Bavarians were in ruthless form in the group stage, winning all six of their matches, scoring 22 goals in the process. European champions in 2020, Bayern are one of the best attacking sides in the competition, boasting goal threats from all over the pitch, not least in the form of Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker already has nine goals in the tournament and, at the age of 34, his relentless prowess in the box shows no signs of diminishing. Bayern will expect to comfortably progress from their last-16 tie against knockout-stage debutants RB Salzburg and the Bundesliga champions will be a side that every team will want to avoid.
Next in the betting come Liverpool and Chelsea, who are priced at 5/1(5.00) and 7/1(7.00) respectively to be crowned winners. Current European champions Chelsea will look to emulate their performance in last season’s tournament where they continued to improve in every round until triumphing in the final against Manchester City. Liverpool, meanwhile, looked superb in the group stage, claiming 18 points from a possible 18 and boast enough firepower to compete with any team left in the competition.
Who else is in the running to win the Champions League?
Paris Saint-Germain are 8/1(8.00) to finally lift the trophy this year, but they face a tough clash in the first knockout round at the hands of 13-time champions Real Madrid. Having signed Lionel Messi, expectations are high in the French capital that a first Champions League title can be secured this season, although the team managed just three wins from six matches in the group stage.
Ajax were one of the surprise packages of the group stage, claiming six wins from six matches to comfortably book a place in the last 16. The semi-finalists from 2019 are priced at 14/1(14.00) and will fancy their chances of continuing in the competition having been drawn against Portugal’s Benfica.
Real Madrid’s odds of winning the Champions League under manager Carlo Ancelotti are at 18/1(18.00), and the most successful team in the history of the competition have a special aura about them when it comes to Europe’s premier club competition. A blockbuster tie against Paris Saint-Germain awaits Los Blancos but their prestige and pedigree in Champions League mean they will head into the clash with plenty of confidence.
Manchester United are also 18/1(18.00) to win the Champions League and, having topped their group, will face Atletico Madrid after that tie was confirmed following a chaotic draw process.
Who are the outsiders to win the Champions League?
Italian side Juventus have odds of 28/1(28.00) and, while Max Allegri’s side have been less impressive domestically than usual, in Europe they have produced some strong performances. Against Villarreal in the last 16, the Turin outfit will be clear favourites to progress.
Atletico Madrid are priced at odds of 33/1(33.00) yet the Liga champions have been underwhelming this season despite the return of Antoine Griezmann to the club in the summer. The team from the Spanish capital have prided themselves on being a strong defensive unit under Diego Simeone yet this season they have looked more vulnerable than ever and have conceded in five of their six European matches. A trip to Old Trafford awaits in the last 16 in what looks like potentially an evenly-matched encounter against Manchester United.
Italian champions Inter have odds of 50/1(50.00), and finished second behind Real Madrid in Group D, losing both matches they played against the Spanish side. Simone Inzaghi’s men are rank outsiders in their knockout clash with Liverpool, but if they can dispose of the Merseysiders they will be highly fancied.
Elsewhere in the market, Europa League champions Villarreal are priced at 150/1(150.00), and Yellow Submarine have shown in their matches with Chelsea and Manchester United this season that they can go toe-to-toe with the continent’s most powerful sides, despite hailing from a town with a population of 50,000.
Odds correct at the time of writing on 20/12/2021. 18+. begambleaware.org
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