Spotlight - Champions League stocktaking...
Wednesday 7th February 2018
In your Across the Leagues email today:
- Spotlight – Champions League stocktaking...
- Latest odds on the Last 16...
- Don’t rule out a surprise finalist...
The Champions League returns next Tuesday with the first wave of Knockout games...
Champions League – Last 16:
Basel v Man City
Juventus v Tottenham
Porto v Liverpool
Real Madrid v PSG
- 1st Legs – Tue 13th & Wed 14th Feb
Chelsea v Barcelona
Bayern Munich v Besiktas
Sevilla v Man Utd
Shakhtar Donetsk v Roma
- 1st Legs – Tue 20th & Wed 21st Feb
Latest odds on the Last 16...
There are 16 teams left in the running for European club football’s biggest prize. Here’s how the bookies bet:
Outright Winner prices (decimal odds in brackets):
| Man City |
3/1 (4.00) |
| PSG |
5/1 (6.00) |
| Bayern Munich |
5/1 (6.00) |
| Barcelona |
6/1 (7.00) |
| Real Madrid |
8/1 (9.00) |
| Liverpool |
16/1 (17.00) |
| Man Utd |
16/1 (17.00) |
| Juventus |
20/1 (21.00) |
| Tottenham |
25/1 (26.00) |
| Chelsea |
33/1 (34.00) |
| Roma |
50/1 (51.00) |
| Porto |
150/1 (151.00) |
| Sevilla |
150/1 (151.00) |
| Shakhtar Donetsk |
150/1 (151.00) |
| Besiktas |
200/1 (201.00) |
| Basel |
500/1 (501.00) |
- Each Way terms: 1/2 odds 1-2 places
Champions League stocktaking...
Only one team can win it, but all 16 have standout stats worth keeping on our radar – with potential betting opportunities in the upcoming ties in mind.
Here are some of the top-performing bets from the Group stage games:
Man City
Most Corners 83% (5 out of 6 games)
-1 Corner Handicap 67% (4 out of 6)
PSG
-2 Match Handicap (win by 2+ goals) 83%
Top scorers in the competition – averaging 4.17 goals per game
Bayern Munich
Over 2.5 Goals 100% (6 out of 6)
Barcelona
Clean Sheet 83%
Best defensive record in the competition – with just one goal conceded
Real Madrid
Over 2.5 Goals 83% (5 out of 6)
Most Corners 83% (5 out of 6)
Liverpool
Most Corners 100%
-1 Corner Handicap 83%
2nd highest Corners For stats in the competition – averaging 8.67 per game
Man Utd
-1 Corner Handicap 83%
Juventus
Over 3.5 Cards 83%
Tottenham
Over 10.5 Corners 83%
Over 2.5 Goals 83%
Chelsea
Under 10.5 Corners 83%
Roma
Clean Sheet 100% at Home (3 out of 3)
Porto
Both Teams to Score 83%
Sevilla
Both Teams to Score 83%
Over 2.5 Goals 83%
Shakhtar Donetsk
Over 2.5 Goals 83%
Besiktas
Both Teams to Score 83%
Basel
Under 10.5 Corners 83%
Along with our Historical Champions League Stats from recent seasons, and the latest 2017/18 domestic form, the standout stats above can help us hunt out the top-rated match-ups for the upcoming 1st Leg ties.
- Your first Champions League Picks & Analysis email for the Knockout stages will be with you on Tuesday, 13th February
Ronnie the record-breaker...
In terms of the Outright Winner markets, our Season Preview is doing okay thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-breaking start to the campaign...
Ronnie became the first player to score in all 6 Group games, and with a total of 9 goals so far he’s 3 ahead of the nearest competitors in the Top Scorer chart.
Ronaldo was our pre-season 4/1 (5.00) pick for Top Scorer. He’s now Evens (2.00) at best and as short as 4/6 (1.67).
Don’t rule out a surprise finalist...
Our outside bet on the Outright Winner, 22/1 Atletico Madrid surprisingly went out in the Group stage. They’ve dropped into the Europa League and been installed as the 4/1 favourites for that competition.
In terms of the Champions League trophy destination, that tie between 3/1 PSG and 8/1 Real Madrid is obviously massive. And with the likes of Man City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona all also single-figure prices, the tournament winner competition looks as fierce as it’s ever been.
Recent history says a team from further down the list reaching the final wouldn’t be as much of a surprise as some may think, though...
Last year’s runners-up Juventus were 12/1 pre-season, and the year before that we got a 10/1 Each Way place payout from 20/1 Atletico Madrid... Juve and Atletico had both made a final each in the two seasons before those, too... Borussia Dortmund were runners-up in 2012/13 and Chelsea were a big-price winner in 2011/12.
I’ll be concentrating on the match opportunities next week, but there’s certainly some food for thought there in the Outright Winner debate.
Coming up...
Look out for your Champions League Picks & Analysis email on Tuesday.
And before that, I’ll be in touch with your Weekend Picks & Analysis this Friday, when there’s a full set of domestic games for us to focus on.
Enjoy the football...
Best wishes,
Oliver Upstone
Across the Leagues |
