UEFA Champions League Odds (Updated): City and Liverpool Ahead, Benzema Leading Real
- Manchester City is the top favorite for winning the UEFA Champions League.
- Liverpool comes after the Citizens.
- Two Spanish teams are behind, Real Madrid and Villarreal.
Four teams are left in the battle for the UEFA Champions League trophy. Surprisingly, Bayern Munich isn’t one of them, and we have to thank Villarreal for that. The Spaniards made one of the biggest sensations in the near history.
We are here to make a short analysis of the prospects of the remaining participants for winning the title.
City and Liverpool topping the list
The Citizens (+175) are slightly better placed than the Reds (+185), but in our opinion, the situation here should be 50-50. After seeing their last meeting at the Etihad, we can tell that there is no difference in quality between the two sides. Small details will decide the winner if they meet in the finals, not some major tactical maneuver.
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Man City eliminated Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals, 1-0 on aggregate. The second leg in Madrid was very feisty, but still, it looked as if the guests held everything in their hands.
Liverpool was better than Benfica, 6-4 on aggregate, and after beating the Eagles in Portugal, 1-3, the rematch was a routine and formality they needed to have. Their attack is getting better and better, and we do need to mention that Luis Diaz’s arrival might be the best transfer Klopp has had since taking over the wheel at Anfield.
Benzema’s Second Youth
Without any doubt, Karim Benzema is the best striker in the world right now, and he is among the top three favorites for winning the Golden Ball. The French international sealed that status with his hat-trick against PSG in the round of 16, and after that, he repeated the same at Stamford.
Yet, we need to say that Los Blancos really do play as a unit, and that Benzema’s current productivity comes out as a result of the entire team’s fantastic performances. Luka Modric is playing like just a few Real players in the past, while on the other hand, Carlo Ancelotti perfectly organizes everything from the bench.
It appears that his unwillingness to renounce the veterans had its logic. After all, the Italian knows that experience almost always outweighs talent and individual quality.
Real is +710 to win the trophy, and that is mostly due to the fact that they met with Man City in the semis.
Villarreal’s Fairytale Continues
We all remember Yellow Submarine’s heroic quest from last year and how they won the Europa League. They are after the UEFA Champions League trophy now, and after eliminating Bayern Munich, they need to be considered as a legit contender. Like it or not.
The odds suggest that they are outsiders here, +4000, but we wouldn’t be so sure about that. Any team that eliminates Bayern deserves to be respected, especially if they have Unai Emery on the bench. He knows how to win trophies, and apart from that, his tactical knowledge is one of the best in the world.
Villarreal clashes with Liverpool in the semis, which will be a pleasure to watch, as well as the other matchup between Manchester City and Real. After all, the UCL semifinals are always a spectacle.
