Liverpool among best value Champions League winner ahead of today's draw
With the Champions League draw taking place later today, it’s Manchester City (again) that are the favourites across the board with the bookies.
Pep Guardiola’s side have fallen short in Europe since his arrival at the Etihad, while the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid still rank among the favourites despite an obvious regression from both sides.
The draw will of course cause the odds on the outright winner to fluctuate but this can also be seen as an opportunity to get a higher price than you would tonight.
We’ve picked out three teams that, if not falling under the category of a dark horse, certainly look a decent price before the tournament kicks off next month.
Liverpool - Best price 8.00
While the Reds surprised many to go on to lift the trophy back in May, back-to-back final appearances prove their credentials among the very best in the world right now and the holders have tended to come good when it matters most.
Answering any early doubters that after a signing-less summer they will fall off the pace in the Premier League, Liverpool have won three from three and scoring nine goals in the process. The same players are up to their usual tricks, with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino all among the goals while their rampaging full-backs are already as creative and influential as ever.
This is the same side that secured glory in Europe last season in every sense and there aren’t a huge number of the top clubs around that can claim to have gotten stronger over the summer.
Atletico Madrid - Best price 21.00
Having seen some of their biggest names leave the club over the summer, there’s a rebuild in process at Atletico but it’s undoubtedly an exciting one and arguably necessary too. Having reached the final in 2014 and 2016 - losing to rivals Real Madrid on both occasions - Diego Simeone’s side failed to get as far as the quarters in the past two seasons and weren’t the proposition they once were.
The defence was ageing with the likes of Juanfran, Diego Godin and Filipe Luis all having now left the club, and the team ahead of them were beginning to struggle with the physical demands of the coach. Seven new faces have arrived over the summer in an attempt to remedy that, and there’s still time for more changes to the squad before the European deadline.
Joao Felix’s arrival will undoubtedly remain the most pivotal though and the Portuguese hot shot is a genuine superstar ready to light up the Champions League. Watch this space.
Borussia Dortmund - Best price 34.00
While Bayern Munich look a decent price themselves to go all the way (13.00) there are many that believe Dortmund end the Bundesliga champions’ dominance in Germany this season. Lucien Favre’s side were above the Bavarians for much of the previous campaign but additions made over the summer ensure they are among a relatively select group of top teams that have unquestionably strengthened their squad.
Two games into their league campaign BVB have six points and eight goals to their name and that man Jadon Sancho has picked up where he left off with a goal and an assist in each match. Alongside captain Marco Reus the England international has been joined in attack by Thorn Hazard and Julian Brandt, while Nico Schulz and the returning Mats Hummels have bolstered the backline substantially.
It’s a hugely exciting attacking squad counterbalanced by invaluable experience in key positions and one that should really reach the last eight at a minimum. From there on in anything can happen. Three times less likely to lift the trophy than PSG (11.00)? We think not!
