Champions League: City and Chelsea drift as United’s odds are slashed
The Premier League champions face an unenviable task to avoid a repeat of last year's group-stage exit after being placed alongside Real Madrid, Ajax and Borussia Dortmund.
Manchester City’s odds of winning the Champions League have drifted after they were again placed in the ubiquitous ‘Group of Death’ in Monaco this afternoon. Following the draw, Chelsea also lengthened, while Manchester United and Celtic have come in sharply and Arsenal are unmoved in a market still headed by Barcelona.
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The Citizens were marked up as 15/2 third-favourites this morning, but after being drawn alongside nine-time winners Real Madrid, three-time champions Ajax and Bundesliga winners Borussia Dortmund, they are now a 9/1 chance to lift the trophy.
City fans must be cursing their luck after seeing their men fail to escape a similar group last year which included Bayern Munich, Napoli and Villarreal – but their second seeding meant such a daunting challenge was always likely.
| Club Friendlies | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Man City win | £42.00 | (11/10) | ||
| Draw | £66.00 | (23/10) | ||
| Arsenal win | £60.00 | (2/1) | ||
There was better news for rivals United, whose appearance in Group H with Braga, Galatasaray and CFR Cluj has seen them slashed from 10/1 to 7/1 to go all the way to Wembley and win their fourth European crown.
United, who also fell at this stage last term, will hope to banish the memories of their horror show in Basel by cruising into the last 16 as group winners and are now third-favourites in the outright market behind Barcelona and Real Madrid.
City fans must be cursing their luck after seeing their men fail to escape a similar group last year which included Bayern Munich, Napoli and Villarreal – but their second seeding meant such a daunting challenge was always likely.
Los Blancos have been nudged up from 3/1 to 7/2 in the wake of their pairing with City, Ajax and Dortmund, while Barca came in from 14/5 to 13/5 after being placed in Group G alongside Benfica, Spartak Moscow and Celtic.
The Bhoys, appearing at this stage of the competition for the first time in four years following a 4-0 aggregate win over Helsingborgs, will fancy their chances of sneaking through in second place behind Tito Vilanova’s men and are now 350/1 (in from 500/1) to replicate their 1967 triumph.
Meanwhile, reigning champions Chelsea have been handed a reasonably tough assignment in the shape of Shakhtar Donetsk, Italian champions Juventus and Danish outfit FC Nordsjaelland.
The Blues are now a 13/1 shot to become the first team in the Champions League era to successfully retain the trophy, having been at 12/1 prior to the draw.
For Arsenal, a spot in Group B alongside Schalke, Olympiakos and French champions Montpellier offers a solid chance of progression and the Gunners remain a 20/1 punt to go one better than their defeat by Barcelona in the 2006 final.
Champions League groups:
Group A: Porto, Dynamo Kiev, Paris St Germain, Dinamo Zagreb
Group B: Arsenal, Schalke, Olympiakos, Montpellier
Group C: AC Milan, Zenit St Petersburg, Anderlecht, Malaga
Group D: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund
Group E: Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus, FC Nordsjaelland
Group F: Bayern Munich, Valencia, Lille, BATE Borisov
Group G: Barcelona, Benfica, Spartak Moscow, Celtic
Group H: Manchester United, Braga, Galatasaray, CFR Cluj
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