Bayern Munich too short to set a Champions League precedent

Bayern Munich may have placed one foot and four toes into the Champions League quarter finals by beating Arsenal 2-0 in their first leg, but their odds to go on and retain the trophy are too skinny by half.

Those who’ve seen enough already and believe the Champions League holders are as good as untouchable in this season’s edition can take Bayern at 2/1 to win the competition right now.

Pep Guardiola’s Bavarian bullies deserve favouritism on the evidence of last year’s win alone, though it’s worth remembering that even the all-conquering Barcelona team the Spanish coach fashioned a few years ago never managed to hold onto their European title.

And these odds may yet shift outwards slightly if, as expected, they end Arsenal’s involvement and get drawn against the likes of a Chelsea in the quarter finals.

Manchester City’s group-stage win dispelled their invincibility and had Mesut Ozil not attended the school of stuttering penalty run-ups, Bayern could have been facing a very different second-leg proposition.

There are plenty of other stellar names in the betting worth taking at far more salubrious odds, such as Paris St-Germain at 9/1 and Chelsea or Atletico at 11s.

The star-studded French champions and quarter-finalists of last season just schooled Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 in their away leg last-16 tie, and inspired by tournament top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic spell danger for any given opponent.

Champions of two seasons ago, Chelsea, have the right manager and the right blend of experience and young talent to navigate past Galatasaray and possibly go all the way.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid are the dark horses of the this year’s edition and having kept up the pace with Barcelona (10/3) and Real Madrid (4/1) all season in La Liga, make a tempting choice to upset the establishment with a landmark win, as they take a 1-0 lead over Milan back to Spain.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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