Man City are the favourites to win the Champions League this season. Read why and who else could challenge for the championship.
The Champions League has become very competitive after the end of the round of 16. After finishing at the bottom of Group A in December, the tournament saw English football giants Manchester United say goodbye to this season’s competition. Scottish football club Celtic and English north-eastern club Newcastle have also seen their European footballing action come to a bitter end as far as the Champions League is concerned.
For other clubs, however, the battle is still on. Now there are just eight teams left and the quarter finals are around the corner. Below is a look at the favourites to lift the trophy, Manchester City, plus some of the other sides who could also challenge hard for the title.
Manchester City
Current champions Manchester City have received Champions League odds of +175 on the moneylines. If they’re going to continue their Champions League journey, however, they’re going to have to first get past Spanish club Real Madrid in the quarter finals.
Not an easy ask, but if anyone can do it, it’s the champions. City proved just how tactically brilliant they are in the first leg of their round of 16 clash with Copenhagen, which they won 3-1. They pass lots and always have a player in support of the man on the ball. They rotate players on the pitch, making it difficult to play out a strategy against the team. They invite pressure and manage to drag the opposing team’s players out of position. Sometimes, the team is so automated that they execute their play just as it would look if they were in their training ground. It all makes them very tough to beat.
Arsenal
Arsenal are the second favourites to win the title and have Champions League odds of +500 on the moneylines. If they’re to make it to the final, their road won’t be easy either. The face Bayern Munich in the quarter finals. If they make it past them, either Manchester City or Real Madrid will be waiting for them in the semi-finals.
Despite some of the sportsbooks’ confidence in the side, this is only Arsenal’s first time in the quarter finals in 14 years. They defeated Porto on penalties in the round of 16 to get there. Unfortunately, the Gunners side don’t have the best record against Bayern: in 2017, the Bavarians whopped the Londoners 10-2 on aggregate.
The winter break, however, seems to have done Arsenal good. They’re attacking with fresh confidence in the final third. Attacks are faster and more fluid. They’re scoring earlier in games. Their creativity has increased and the team are executing more key passes per game. Defensively, they’ve also improved. Teams are scoring fewer goals against them. A repeat of the 2017 drubbing by Bayern looks nowhere near as likely.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid, as third favourites and with Champions League odds of +650, will be doing everything in their power to stop the Sky Blues from advancing towards that second consecutive championship when they meet in April. They’ll be especially keen to avenge the 4-0 defeat City dished out to them in the 2022/23 semi-finals.
Los Blancos have got some formidable weapons to help them do it. Antonio Rudiger has developed into one of the best centrebacks in the league, if not the best. He provides the team with solid leadership on and off the field. Meanwhile, directing the midfield through his solid knowledge of the game is Toni Kroos. This leadership in midfield is instrumental.
Real Madrid have much more depth than before now. They’re much less dependent on Jude Bellingham and have people they can call off the bench to perform reliably. Vinicius Jr has been in outstanding form. The team are attacking more and losing little. Man City be afraid.
Bayern Munich
The sportsbooks have placed Bayern Munich as fourth favourites and given them +700 on the betting lines. The German side will be feeling confident: they have England international and former Spurs striker Harry Kane, who has proven he can help them turn things around. Munich went from being 1-0 down in the first leg against Lazio to winning 3-1 on aggregate. Kane scored twice to ruin the Italians’ hopes of progressing to the quarter finals.
Although the Bavarians will want to forget Manchester United’s legendary last-minute 1998/99 comeback, they’ll remember their own good track record in European competition. Bayern Munich have lifted the Champions League trophy three times and are no strangers to victory in other UEFA club football competitions, including the European Cup Winners Cup (3), the UEFA Cup (1) and the UEFA Cup Winners Cup (1).
The Champions League looks as exciting as ever as the competition moves into the quarter finals stage. The other teams still in the competition at the quarter final mark are Paris St Germain, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.