Lyon, Once Over 200-1, Now +1633 Odds to Win UCL After Upsetting Man City
- Lyon’s UCL odds have been shortened dramatically after upsetting Manchester City
- They’ll take on German monsters Bayern Munich, while RB Leipzig face PSG in the semifinals
- Read below for analysis on the four remaining clubs, plus our pick to win the title
This year’s Champions League competition has been one for the ages, despite a knockout round shortened by one-legged fixtures. The UCL will be won be either Bayern Munich, PSG, RB Leipzig or Lyon when the final takes place on August 23rd at the Estadio da Luz.
Lyon are arguably the craziest story of the competition as they have taken down both Juventus and Manchester City to reach the semifinals. Two goals from Moussa Dembele in the last ten minutes against the Citizens was enough to put them through to play Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
On the other side of the UCL bracket sits PSG and RB Leipzig. American Tyler Adams shocked the world earlier this week when his late goal shot Leipzig past Diego Simeone and Atletico Madrid. Additionally, PSG narrowly escaped the wrath of attacking side Atalanta in a 2-1 contest. With these two games in place, we could see a super final between Bayern Munich and PSG to decide the 2020 UCL.
2020 UCL Odds
| Team | Odds at William Hill |
|---|---|
| Bayern Munich | -185 |
| PSG | +267 |
| RB Leipzig | +900 |
| Lyon | +1633 |
Odds taken on Aug. 16th.
The Unlikely Case of Lyon
Lyon’s Champions League Odds are quite the come-up story. In November, they were a staggeringly +23333; however, they were shortened to +3833 ahead of the UCL quarterfinals. Now they sit at +1633 which still is a massive long shot as they face Bayern Munich this week. Nonetheless, Lyon must be taken seriously in this competition.
In the first twenty minutes against Bayern, Barcelona looked just as threatening going forward. Alaba’s own goal proves that the Germany giants are just as likely to make a mistake as anyone else. Memphis Depay and Moussa Dembele have been sizzling since the UCL resumed play in Portugal and they will be going after Bayern’s defense. The only reason Leipzig are the twice-over favorites ahead of them is because they are playing PSG, a much weaker opposition.
Bayern Munich Will Cruise To Their Sixth UCL Win
Bayern Munich last won the Champions League in 2013. Since, their team has gone through a massive turnover, and now they look poised to lift the UCL trophy once again. In Europe’s toughest competition, Bayern have all the experience and know-how to go all the way. Furthermore, their squad is lined with seasoned veterans that have been around football for a long time, in the peak of their careers. Players like Gnabry, Lewandowski, Kimmich and Muller are the reason they will win next Sunday.
"Josh, what's up?"
"I just had the craziest dream: we beat Barcelona 8-2 in the Champions League quarterfinal!" pic.twitter.com/I7Z7WjSC1c
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) August 14, 2020
Bayern made Barcelona look like an academy team last week in an 8-2 drubbing with a baseball-like scoreline. Lyon will be tough, and PSG will be even more challenging for the Bundesliga winners. But, the difference is Bayern has much more of a consistent direction than any of the teams left. PSG have a laundry list of world-class players, but they cannot play as one. On the contrary, Bayern’s do play together, and they have even more talented players like Coutinho who can come off the bench and make a real difference in a game.
Best Bet
The best bet for this prop is Bayern Munich despite their -185 odds. PSG could barely get by Atalanta, and after Bayern’s last showing in the UCL, all the signs point to them. Tuchel’s team has enough to get by Leipzig which is why I recommend them as a close second pick with odds of +267.
With Mbappe and Neymar, anything is possible of course, however, their defense is far too weak for Bayern’s offense in the final. When Bayern starts to control the game, they suck the life out of their opposition, and strike when they are least expecting it. The forwards movement off the ball is some of the best running motions ever seen and with Thiago further back in the midfield, they can pick out anything. The odds are grossly leaning towards Bayern but when it comes down to it, they are still the best pick.
My Pick: Bayern Munich (-185)
Josh Ricker is a freelance sports journalist, currently attending the University of Southern Maine (Bachelor of Science in Sports Management and Marketing). He has recently interned with the AA Portland Sea Dogs, and his work has been featured on Fansided, as well as now here on SBD.
