Barcelona Favored Over Dortmund, Inter Milan & Slavia Prague to Win UCL Group F
By Paul Attfield in Soccer News
Updated: January 4, 2023 at 6:00 am ESTPublished:
- Spanish titans favored at -275 to top Group F
- Former winners Dortmund could offer some value at +350
- 2010 champions Inter Milan given longer odds to finish on top at +550
Thursday’s UEFA Champions League group stage draw threw out some interesting quartets, but likely none more so than Group F.
While the phrase “Group of Death” is often overused when it comes to the Champions League or World Cup, if there is such a thing this year, Group F is it. The Champions League odds certainly reflect it, with three of the four teams in the top 13 favored to win the tournament outright.
Champions League Group F Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Barcelona | -275 |
| Borussia Dortmund | +350 |
| Inter Milan | +650 |
| Slavia Prague | +6600 |
Odds from 8/31/19.
Third Time Lucky?
After back-to-back Champions League heartbreak, against first Roma then Liverpool, Barcelona will be hoping for a different outcome this year.
The odds are certainly in their favor, with the five-time champions ranked second favorites (+500) behind Manchester City to lift the European Cup.
While an attack featuring Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez was already formidable, the addition Antoine Griezmann makes it more fearsome. The Frenchman seems to be settling in nicely at Camp Nou, as those in attendance for his home debut last weekend can attest. He chalked up two goals and an assist in a comfortable 5-2 win over Real Betis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tqhovtbE0Q
However, the on-again-off-again return of Neymar seems to be a distraction, as coach Ernesto Valverde claimed to be getting weary of the drawn-out saga.
German Grit
The 1997 champions are rated as the 10th-most-likely club to win the Champions League at +3300, along with Chelsea and Napoli. But to do so, they’ll have to get out of their group first.
It’s certainly looking like a two-team fight for the runner-up spot between Dortmund and Inter Milan. Though the German club are favored at -110 to get out of the group, ahead of Inter at -150, it will likely be decided by their head-to-head games on Matchday 3 and 4.
Tough challenge or not, the club’s social media account took it in stride, taking a jab at Barcelona’s defensive frailties in their semifinal loss to Liverpool.
Time to practice our corners 🙋♂️ https://t.co/ua104F7CWo
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) August 29, 2019
Inter Facing Uphill Struggle
The 2010 Champions League winners are in tough to make it out of this group and are picked to finish third.
That’s where they ended up last year when they were also drawn in a group alongside Barcelona. While they weren’t embarrassed in those games, they only managed to pick up a solitary point from a possible six.
Still, with a new-look strikeforce in the shape of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, coach Antonio Conte has options.
🤳 | THIS PLAYER…#NotForEveryone @Alexis_Sanchez #WelcomeAlexis pic.twitter.com/tTxVqeMDup
— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter) August 29, 2019
Bringing up the Rear
Slavia Prague has never made it out of the Champions League group stage, and at +2000 are unlikely to do it here, either.
Slavia Prague's reaction to being drawn in the same group as Barcelona, Dortmund and Inter 😂 https://t.co/FCBlNkYI8g
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 30, 2019
However, they gave Chelsea a tough time of it in last season’s Europa League quarterfinal, falling 4-3 at Stamford Bridge to lose 5-3 on aggregate. Suffice to say, they are not going to lie down against three of Europe’s most famous clubs, despite the reaction of the team’s executives at the draw.
Pick: Barcelona -275
Sports Writer
For the last 20 years, Paul Attfield has worked in sports media. Starting out in his native Britain with the likes of The Independent, he eventually switched continents, with his work appearing in the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Yahoo Sports since.
