The 2023-24 Champions League is underway, and the most asked question in the run-up to the competition was: “Who can stop Manchester City?”
The Sky Blues stormed to the 2023 title as part of a historic treble, and the Champions League 2023 betting odds say Pep Guardiola’s team is the one to beat this time around.
City started with a win; what else? And if any of Europe’s big guns can see off the champions, then there are also Arsenal, Newcastle United and Manchester United representing the Premier League, and all four are expected to make it to the last 16.
The price of the winner coming from England stands at 1.95. Yes, it’s odds on. So which teams are capable of fighting off the Premier League titans?
Second favourites FC Bayern are the most likely; Thomas Tuchel’s side beat Manchester United 4-3 to land the only blow of the opening round on an English opponent, but the final score-line was very kind to the Red Devils.
Only two late goals from Casemiro gave this the look of a seven-goal thriller, but it wasn’t. It was a dominant performance from the German champions and their new striker, Harry Kane, was one of four scorers for the Bavarians, as Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, and Mathys Tel all got on the score sheet.
Kane scored a goal on his Bundesliga debut against Werder Bremen and then a brace in his home debut against Augsburg. And this weekend, he scored a hat-trick as Bayern hammered Bochum 7-0.
With the club’s former goal machine, Robert Lewandowski, now at Barcelona and Erling Braut-Haaland at Manchester City, Kane, with seven goals already, is a hot favourite for the Bundesliga Golden Boot, and he makes Die Bayern a serious threat to Manchester City.
Real Madrid left it late to beat FC Union Berlin as Jude Bellingham struck deep into injury time, but at SBOTOP odds of 9.00, Los Blancos are joint third favourites, alongside Arsenal, and in Carlo Ancelotti, they have a manager who has been there and done that.
The loss of Karim Benzema to Saudi Arabia and an injury to Vinicius Junior have left Los Blancos a little short up front and they have relied on Bellingham for goals.
A loss in the Madrid Derby on Sunday night has seen Ancelotti’s side knocked off the top of the La Liga table, and reigning champions Barcelona have taken first place, while Atleti have moved up to fifth.
Los Blancos dominated the derby for long periods, with 64 per cent possession, 20 shots to 10 and five to four on target, but they failed in the important moments, as Alvaro Morata, twice and Antoine Griezmann breached their defence with Toni Kroos making Real’s only reply.
Their next Champions League game will be a tough test, away to 2023 Scudetto winner Napoli, who won their opener away to Braga.
The most impressive of the early Champions League 2023 results came in Catalonia, where without the sidelined Pedri, Barcelona battered Antwerp 5-0 and justified their status as fifth favourites to win the title, priced at 11.00.
Lewandowski was on target, and the Blaugrana’s summer signing Joao Felix had a great game, scoring twice and making the assist for Lewi, and the young Portuguese star might be ready to fulfil his potential.
He has struggled to do so ever since his big-money move from Benfica to Atletico Madrid in 2019. Felix was only 19 at the time and, in a pragmatic team managed by the warrior Diego Simeone, he showed flashes of brilliance but often cut a frustrated figure.
He went on loan to the Premier League’s basket case, Chelsea, last winter, a place where it was difficult for anyone to thrive, though I’d back new manager Mauricio Pochettino to sort things out at Stamford Bridge given time.
So Felix is better off back in La Liga, and with a progressive coach in Xavi and with Pedri to come back alongside the likes of Lewandowski, Ilkay Gundogan and Ronald Araujo in the side, Xavi is eying success in Spain and in Europe.
Paris Saint-Germain, at odds of 15.00, are sixth favourites to win the 2024 Champions League and, with talisman Kylian Mbappe still at the club, the Ligue 1 champions can’t be ruled out.
The Parisiens are yet to win the European crown since the club was taken over by Qatari Sports Investments back in 2011, and Manchester City’s success has put more pressure on PSG’s latest manager, Luis Enrique.
The French giants opened up their campaign with a highly professional 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund at the Parc des Princes last week, with Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi on target, and they are due to meet Newcastle United on October 4.
Win that and they will have one foot in the Round of 16, but that is the very first step in the Qatari’s ambitions.
Of the clutch of European sides that are best placed to challenge the English, I think PSG will find it difficult once again.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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