Bayern Munich and Man City Open as Co-Favorites at +450 Odds to Win 2020/21 Champions League Title
- Last weekend, Bayern Munich won their sixth Champions League title and are already co-favorites for next year’s competition
- Man City are the other co-favorite, which makes sense after heavily being linked with Lionel Messi over the past couple of days
- Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are the other top teams favored to win the 2020/21 Champions League trophy
Despite the 2019/2020 Champions League just finishing in Lisbon last week, it is already time to start thinking about the favorites for next year. Bayern Munich and Man City are the early favorites and it is really no surprise. Bayern have added the services of former Man City player Leroy Sane to their already electric offense and Pep Guardiola’s side are in serious talks for Lionel Messi. These two sides are filled with depth, youth and goal-scoring which makes these additions all the scarier.
With that being said, there are many other intimidating opponents. Despite an early exit to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, Liverpool still have to be one of the favorites for next year after having a record-breaking Premier League season. With Thiago possibly switching red shirts, they will be keen and ready to go. Obviously, the Messi sweepstakes has a huge play in these Champions League odds. Wherever he goes, the odds will follow. If he chose Paris Saint-Germain or Inter Milan they would almost immediately fly up the table.
2020/21 Champions League Odds
| Team | Odds at Bet365 |
|---|---|
| Bayern Munich | +450 |
| Man City | +450 |
| Liverpool | +650 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | +900 |
| Real Madrid | +1000 |
| Juventus | +1200 |
| Barcelona | +1600 |
| Chelsea | +2000 |
| Man United | +2000 |
| Atletico Madrid | +2500 |
| Borussia Dortmund | +2500 |
| Atalanta | +3300 |
| Inter Milan | +3300 |
| RB Leipzig | +5000 |
| Sevilla | +5000 |
| Lazio | +5000 |
| Ajax | +6600 |
| Porto | +6600 |
| Borussia Monchengladbach | +10000 |
| Benfica | +10000 |
| Zenit St. Petersburg | +15000 |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | +20000 |
| Marseille | +20000 |
| Locomotiv Moscow | +25000 |
| Istanbul Basaksehir | +25000 |
| Club Brugge | +25000 |
| Rennes | +30000 |
Odds taken Aug. 27
Bayern Munich Will Be Frightening for Years
Bayern have not done the best to impress in recent years in the Champions League. However, with young players like Alphonso Davies and Serge Gnabry coming into the fold and turning into superstars, their limits are now unfathomable. Hans-Dieter Flick looks like he is staying with the German club and they are headed in a very good direction.
Leroy Sane adding to Bayern Munich attack with Lewandowski, Gnabry, Muller and Coeman #OLFCB #UCL
— Valar Morghulis ♮ (@tommy_viccetti) August 19, 2020
Some of their players are aging and they will probably lose Philippe Coutinho and Thiago in the offseason. However, they are still performing and that is all that matters. The way they dominated Barcelona in an 8-2 drubbing was almost foreshadowing into what could be a dominance of Bayern Munich football. Currently, they are the favorites, as they should be.
Who Are the Other Champions League Contenders?
Who else can put up a fight with Bayern you might ask? It is as simple as Liverpool, Real Madrid and whoever lands Messi in the summer. Liverpool are known for Champions League greatness and with a couple of tune-ups, they could be back to the trophy stage in 2021. Additionally, Real Madrid were incredible coming down the stretch this year. Zidane’s side is full of young, promising talent that will surely improve during the campaign with Madrid’s leadership easing the battle.
PSG, Juventus and Man City? Absolutely not, yet. If one of them lands Messi, than of course they are automatically in the conversation. However, these three sides are currently a bunch of talent that is not greater than the sum of a Bayern Munich or Liverpool. Messi will connect everyone around him, which is why he would be a solution to this Champions League problem for each of those teams.
Best Bet
Finally, the best bet for next year’s Champions League is Liverpool. Bayern is great, but Liverpool have made the final in two of the past three seasons. Not to mention, they have better odds at +650 to win. Nonetheless, they put in an amazing season in 2019/20 and will be eager to seek out revenge for their Champions League knockout to Atletico. They clearly have the best defense in Europe, and with a couple young players coming into the fold, their offense could be even deadlier this season.
Another factor is the managers. Flick got Bayern a Champions League trophy this year, but can he do it in a full season? On the other hand, Liverpool have Jurgen Klopp, one of the top three managers in the entire world. The bottom line is that it will be easier to trust Klopp’s Liverpool team who faces serious competition every single week to be more prepared to make a serious run at the UCL title in 2020/21.
My Pick: Liverpool (+650)
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.
