The final international break has concluded and now, attention turns back toward club matters for a chaotic end to the 2024/25 campaign. Domestically, some leagues have title races that look to be going down to the wire. While Liverpool and Bayern Munich seemingly have things wrapped up in England and Germany respectively, both Spain and Italy have three-way battles that promise unparalleled drama between now and the end of the season.
If that wasn’t enough, the race to Munich and the 2025 UEFA Champions League final is well underway. The greatest club competition on earth has now reached the quarter-final stage, and just eight teams remain in the hunt for the famous ‘Big-Eared’ trophy. But who do the bookies think will eventually come out on top? Let’s take a look.
Barcelona
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly considering the stellar cast of their capital city rivals, it is Barcelona who online sports betting websites make the favorites to win the Champions League this season. The latest odds when betting on sports with Thunderpick currently make them a mightily short 1.25 for the Blaugrana to progress from their upcoming quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund. Meanwhile, similar sites price them as the 4.00 favorite to win the tournament outright in the Allianz Arena on May 31st. Fans looking at betting on sports could certainly pick worse options than this.
Their front three of goal machine Robert Lewandowski alongside wingers Lamine Yamal and Raphinha is perhaps the finest trio on the planet in current form, and they have been lethal throughout the campaign. The fearsome attacking trident has racked up some 75 goals in all competitions between them already this season, and they show no signs of slowing down. A thrilling recent come-from-behind 4-2 victory against title rivals Atletico Madrid away from home has sent the Catalonians to the top of La Liga, and the bookies predict that the Spanish championship won’t be the only piece of silverware heading to Barcelona this season.
Paris Saint-Germain
For years, Paris Saint-Germain have been the punchline of jokes when it comes to the Champions League. Even when they had a front three of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar, they couldn’t make it past the round of 16. However, those three icons of the beautiful game are now gone, and Luis Enrique’s new-look side is firing on all cylinders, with the bookies making them a joint favorite alongside Barca to go all the way.
The Parisians have already dispatched the tournament favorites Liverpool, beating them on penalties at Anfield to seal their spot in the quarterfinals. Now, another English side in the form of underdogs Aston Villa wait in the last eight. They may even face a third in the semifinals should Arsenal pull off a miracle against Real Madrid.
Much like Barcelona, PSG have a menacing strike force of their own. Bradley Barcola has emerged as one of the top prospects in world football, while January signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is capable of winning games on his own on his day. But it’s the form of Ousmane Dembele that will frighten the rest of Europe more than anyone else.
The French winger was thrust into the limelight back in 2017 when Barcelona forked out €145m to secure his services from Borussia Dortmund, He never came close to living up to expectations at Camp Nou, but after a €50m transfer back to his homeland, he is finally starting to come of age. The 27-year-old has helped himself to 30 goals and a further six assists already this season, and if he continues in a similar vein, then a maiden Champions League crown could be on its way to the City of Love.
Real Madrid
No list of Champions League favorites is complete without the competition’s most beloved team, Real Madrid. Los Blancos are the record champions after having amassed a whopping 15 titles throughout their history, more than double their nearest rivals. That haul contains six trophies in the last 11 years, including most recently last season when they downed Borussia Dortmund at Wembley to secure yet another crown.
Rather than resting on their laurels, the Bernabeu outfit took their side to another level last summer when they added mercurial striker Kylian Mbappe to a squad already stacked with talent. Despite some early teething problems for the French sensation, the former Monaco youngster has finally come into his own and he could well be the one to lead Real to back-to-back titles. He has plenty of support too, with both Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham proven match winners.
The reigning champions will face an injury-hit Arsenal side in the Round of 16, and they will fancy their chances of progressing. The Gunners are currently without a recognized striker due to injuries, while the fitness of star winger Bukayo Saka remains up in the air. Los Blancos will be expected to progress, setting up a mouthwatering semifinal against the Parisians should they ultimately live up to the billing.
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- Source: https://matchedbets.com/blog/who-are-the-favorites-to-win-the-uefa-champions-league-as-the-quarterfinals-loom-large/
