Who were the favorites to win UEFA Champions League when the odds were first released? No surprise, but Barcelona led the way. Chelsea, who are the overwhelming favorites to win the Premier League this season, were given the best chances of any English side.
here’s where the biggest clubs in Europe opened in their chances to win the UEFA Champions League
Barca 3-1
Bayern Munich 9-2
Real Madrid 11-2
Chelsea 8-1
Paris Saint Germain 14-1
Manchester City 16-1
Manchester United 20-1
Arsenal 20-1
Atletico Madrid 22-1
Juventus 22-1
Chelsea were knocked out in the round of 16 by PSG last year, and it will be interesting to see if Paris can take the next Champions League step this year. After reaching the quarterfinals the past two years, Les Parisiens will need to reach the semi-finals or better to prove that they’re this world class club they’re claiming/striving to be.
As for Chelsea, they had a very uninspiring preseason, but remember that it is just preseason. As long as the Blues get their Diego Costa fitness issues and striker depth settled, they should be a major player in the Champions League tournament.