The Champions League is here again, with the round of 16 dishing us some of the most delicious football clashes. Epic matches PSG vs. Real Madrid and Inter Milan vs. Liverpool have got football fans across the world salivating. Of course, punters are not left out of the party. They are cashing on attractive Champions League betting odds on liontips.com.
With the big fishes hustling for the Champions League trophy, who will win the coveted prize come the end of the season?
Well, while we can’t confidently tell you the winner, we can at least tell you some of the favourites for the trophy.
1. Bayern Munich
In this champions league edition, Bayern Munich is one of the most potent attacking teams. They won all their six group stage matches, ruthlessly scoring 22 goals in the process.
Leading their attack is the renowned Polish goal machine, Robert Lewandowski. The 34-year-old striker has scored nine goals in the competition and shows no signs of slowing down in the box.
Aside from Lewandowski, Bayern’s squad strength suggests they’ll have no trouble facing more difficult opponents in the competition’s latter stages.
The likes of Alphonso Davis’ pace on the wings, Joshua Kimmich’s brilliance in midfield, and Manuel Neuer’s quick reflexes are a drop in the ocean of this team’s qualities.
Bayern will be confident of progressing from their last-16 encounter against RB Salzburg, who are knockout-stage debutants, and is a team that every other side will want to avoid.
2. Paris St. Germain
In recent years, PSG has been close to winning the UCL, reaching the final and semi-finals in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
This year, the Parisians have established themselves as Champions League favorites due to their fantastic summer signings.
This transfer brought Sergio Ramos, Lionel Messi, Achraf Hakim, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Giorginio Wijnaldum, four on free transfers.
Despite winning their home encounter against Manchester City, the French side finished second in their group behind the Citizens, winning only three out of their six group matches.
Real Madrid awaits in the last 16, but the skill and experience of the recruited star players may come in handy. What a tie that will be!
3. Chelsea
Chelsea, the reigning holders of this prestigious title, haven’t been at their best this season in the group stages.
However, they will attempt to repeat their success from last season’s event, when they improved in every round before defeating Manchester City in the final.
Chelsea excels in two critical categories. First, they have a large team, and second, they have a fantastic reserve of young potential within the squad. These young players give Chelsea a strong chance of replicating the success of last year.
Since he came on, Chelsea’s tactically astute coach, Thomas Tuchel, has made significant progress with the blues. Having inherited a dysfunctional side from Frank Lampard, Tuchel deserves the credit for turning this team into a title-winning side.
His tactical awareness, paired alongside the game interpretation efforts of the team members such as N’golo Kante and Jorginho, have earned them a spot on this list.
Their round-of-16 match against Lille looks winnable, and they will be looking to make it a positive result.
4. Manchester City
Another premier league side sits proudly on this list! This team has never won the champion league title since their history.
However, since their takeover by Sheikh Mansour in 2008, they have been growing from strength to strength. This is evident in their premier league dominance, winning three premier league titles in the last five years.
In the champions league, Manchester City reached their first European final in 2021 after numerous seasons of failures on the European scene, only to lose to Premier League foes Chelsea in an agonizing defeat.
This season, the Citizens are still in contention for the coveted prize. They have added the £100 million, Jack Grealish, to their racks, boosting their attack in the process.
Besides the squad’s versatility and in-form players, Pep Guardiola’s thirst for a first-time championship league glory will drive this team on to glory.
In the last-16, the defending runners-up will face Sporting Lisbon, and they appear to have a good chance of progressing.
5. Real Madrid
Real Madrid, the most successful team in the champions league, has another chance to claim the cup.
The return of the illustrious manager, Carlo Ancelotti, is a title-winning boost. The Italian coach was the man who led Real Madrid to La Decima’s success, and he may be the man to bring them back to another title after a few seasons of drought.
Real Madrid’s squad depth is an under-appreciated facet of the Spanish giants, and it is likely to pay out as they continue their search for another champions league glory.
Players like Vinicius Jr., Eden Hazard, and the newly recruited David Alaba are all hungry for the glory.
Los Blancos face a mouth-watering tie against Paris Saint-Germain in the round-of-16, but their status and Champions League record ensure they will go into the match with plenty of confidence.
As said, “only champions can be in the champions league.” Therefore, any team that has made it this far can win it.
Of course, surprises may spring up, and last-minute winners are regular sights. However, only one thing is certain: there will be one winner at the end.