Breaking down the favorites for the Champions League 2019-20
The UEFA Champions League is about to reach its knock-out stages, as 16 teams prepare to lock horns and battle for European glory. The last-16 draw has led to several major matchups and it’s going to be interesting to lookup the best Asian bookies online and place a bet on whoever you think will lift the trophy on May 30.
Chelsea vs Bayern Munich
The two teams certainly aspire to reach the competition’s final in May and judging by how Bayern Munich has performed in the Bundesliga so far, Chelsea might have a chance to surprise the German champions. Frank Lampard, who is now at the helm of the Blues, will count on a good mix between experience and youth in order to get the better of their opponents.
Tottenham vs RB Leipzig
One of the biggest surprises of this Champions League campaign so far has been RB Leipzig. The German side has topped their group after beating Lyon, Benfica and Zenit on the race for a knockout stage ticket and they’ve been performing just as well in the Bundesliga, where they currently sit in second place, behind Bayern Munich. Tottenham, on the other hand, have signed José Mourinho in last November but are still yet to convince. Not only that, but they will also miss their main player Harry Kane, who is still recovering from an injury.
Lyon vs Juventus
On paper, this will probably be the most uneven tie of the draw. Juventus are almost entirely focused on the Champions League, after having won 8 straight titles in Italy and having signed Cristiano Ronaldo to help them get the much-wanted trophy. As for Lyon, they finished second in their group and they’re currently 9th in the French league, 28 points behind the leaders, PSG.
Napoli vs Barcelona
Even though Napoli doesn’t look as consistent and dangerous as in previous years, they seem to have improved a bit under Gennaro Gattuso’s orders. The Sicilian side will have to measure strength against one of the most powerful teams in the competition, but since Barcelona are not quite at their best either, it could very well balance the forces at the end of the day. Let’s not underestimate Lionel Messi though, as he single-handedly is capable of deciding the tie in his team’s favor.
Borussia Dortmund vs PSG
In what promises to be an extremely exciting clash, Dortmund and PSG should deliver us two games of pure attacking football. The French champions will be the favorites to go through, especially if they’re able to count with both Mbappé and Neymar fit and in good form. As if Borussia Dortmund’s chances weren’t slim enough, they’ll have to prepare this tie knowing that their new star player, Erling Haland, can’t give his contribution on the pitch since he already played for RB Salzburg in the group stages…
Atalanta vs Valencia
This is probably the weakest matchup from the last-16 draw, even though Valencia managed to finished ahead of Chelsea, Ajax and Lille in the group stages, while Atalanta finished behind Manchester City, but ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk and Dinamo Zagreb. Nevertheless, the Spanish side appears to be the stronger bet in this tie and unless Atalanta pulls off a really big surprise, we should see Valencia in the next round of the competition.
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
The best candidate for the blockbuster of the last-16 draw is certainly the tie between these two clubs. The Spanish giants hope to repeat the success they’ve had in a recent past under Zinedine Zidane’s orders, but not only they don’t have Cristiano Ronaldo available anymore, as they’ll also face a more mature and experienced Manchester City side, who is desperate to finally reach the competition’s final. Two games we can’t surely miss!
Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool
The reigning champions won’t have an easy nut to crack in Atletico Madrid. The Spanish side may be struggling more than usual since Diego Simeone took over in 2011, but they’re still highly competitive and if Liverpool ends up making the mistake of underestimating them even slightly, they can expect serious problems. Nevertheless, Liverpool look incredible strong at the moment and not only they’re the clear favorites to go through to the next round, as they’re also the biggest favorites to win the Champions League trophy and defend their crown.
Sources: theguardian.com / forbes.com / vodds.com
