Who Are the Favorites to Win the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League?
The most decorated European tournament, UEFA Champions League (UCL), is currently on a winter break as teams have switched their focus to their domestic Leagues and Cups. The UCL tends to be quite unpredictable at times as the top favorites really struggled to live up to the expectations.
With the early exit from Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, and Sevilla, there might be less competition during the Knockout Stage. However, even the likes of Club Brugge, Eintracht Frankfurt, Porto, and Benfica have shown their strengths this year implying that they won’t give up without a decent fight.
Which team remains on top of the chain and which one can be a pleasant surprise this season? We will discuss the current bookie sentiment as we will unravel the soccer betting odds for the 2022/23 UCL in the next lines.
Manchester City (+162)
After being in the top tier of English football for several years already, Manchester City continues on its mission to clinch a maiden UCL title. Pep Guardiola missed a golden opportunity last year when his team was eliminated by Real Madrid in the Semi-Finals in a more than thrilling fashion. This might not be the case this season as the Citizens are looking even better as they acquired Erling Haaland during the transfer window.
Kevin de Bruyne still remains one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, while Julian Alvarez will be determined to replicate his success with Argentina in the World Cup. On the downside, Manchester City might face tough domestic competition with Arsenal leading the Premier League table ahead of Christmas. This can easily turn the tables in someone else’s favor as they can be bifurcated between the two tournaments.
Manchester City is a huge favorite to lift the UCL title with +162 odds. They play RB Leipzig in the Round of 16.
Bayern Munich (+700)
With a more than convincing performance in the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich will once again focus mainly on the Champions League. The Bavarians are currently leading the pack with 34 points, sitting just four ahead of Freiburg and six ahead of RB Leipzig. However, the big difference is taken from their goal difference as they remain the only team with at least a +10, scoring 49 goals and conceding just 13 in the process.
The team might have just successfully rebuilt its squad with young talents like Leon Goretzka, Kingsley Koman, Dayot Upamecano, Jamal Musiala, and Alfonso Davies. Moreover, they topped their Group Stage with ease winning each one of their six games and finishing off with an 18-2 goal difference. Bayern Munich remains second in terms of chances to lift the trophy with +700 odds as they will take on PSG in the First Round of the Knockout Stage.
Paris Saint-Germain (+800)
Paris Saint-Germain is still looking for revenge for the lost 2020 UCL Final against Bayern Munich. The team led by the likes of Messi, Mbappe, and Neymar might have a great opportunity to exceed expectations. With two of them having faced each other in the World Cup Final, they will certainly be determined for more greatness and glory.
The team sits along on top of Ligue 1 with 41 points from 15 matches. However, the lack of experience of their head coach, Christophe Galtier, might play a huge role in their chances to succeed this season. That’s why the bookies put them third with +800 odds to win the UCL title for the first time in their history.
Liverpool (+900)
Liverpool had a tough start to their 2022/23 season as the Reds suffered some upsets in the Premier League putting them outside the top 4 in the standings. However, the English side remains in the UEFA Champions League, despite missing out on topping Group A as they were outclassed by the up-and-coming Napoli. The team will have to solve some issues both offensively and defensively in order to keep their chances of a good season alive.
The Reds will have a tough encounter in the Round of 16 as they will come up against the reigning champions from Real Madrid. They will at least have a shot at redeeming themselves for the lost Final a couple of months ago. Liverpool chances of winning the trophy remain quite negligible as they sit 4th according to the bookies with +900 odds.
Bonus: Real Madrid (+1200), Napoli (+1400) and Benfica (+2500)
Surprisingly, Real Madrid is far away from the top favorites with +1200 odds. The reigning champions, however, can rely on all the experience in the world to go for back-to-back titles.
On the other hand, bigger surprises can be made by either Napoli or Benfica who have showcased some high-quality performances this season. Moreover, both squads topped their groups in fantastic fashion after outplaying Liverpool and PSG respectively.