Bayern Munich Now Second-Favorites to Win Champions League Title After Round of 16 Leg 1 Win

• Bayern Munich making gains in UCL odds in wake of 3-0 rout of Chelsea
• Win over Chelsea in first leg of Round of 16 extends FCB’s unbeaten streak in non-friendlies to 12 matches
• See the updated odds for all Champions League teams after the Round of 16 Leg 1 matches

After turning in a dominating performance in a 3-0 rout of Chelsea FC in the first leg of their Round of 16 matchup, Bayern Munich have rocketed to +375 second-favorites in UEFA Champions League odds.

Odds to Win 2020 UEFA Champions League

Odds taken on Feb. 27

Injury-Plagued Lewandowski Still Filling the Net

Robert Lewandowski led the attack for the Bavarians, scoring once and assisting on the club’s other two goals. Lewandowski has shown no ill-effects after undergoing a surgical procedure during the winter break to address a nagging groin injury.

The Polish superstar has been key to the FCB’s resurgence since the calendar turned to 2019, scoring nine goals in his past eight outings across all competitions. With his marker in Tuesday’s victory, Lewandowski now leads all UCL snipers with 11 goals and sits perched as a heavy -400 favorite to emerge as the top goalscorer in this year’s tournament.

Lewandowski got injury at 36th minute against Chelsea. Still able to play, scored a goal and 2 assists.

Ruled out for 4 weeks. pic.twitter.com/JWs5MkxygG

— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern_World) February 27, 2020

Bayern’s win over the struggling Blues as -130 chalk is far from surprising, and further fuels the club’s steady gain in momentum since the break. The club endured an uncharacteristically shaky first half to the season, highlighted by a middling 7-1-4 win-draw-loss run across all competitions that began in mid-October and threatened to dump them below the line on the Bundesliga table.

The club will have to make do without Lewandowski for up to four weeks after he suffered a knee injury in this week’s win over Chelsea, but reports indicate that he is likely to be back to full health in time for the start of the UCL quarterfinals in April.

Bayern Poised for Another Deep UCL Run

Apart from a 5-2 loss in a friendly with Nurnberg in early January, this club has been dominant since mid-December, going 11-1-0 in their past 12 meaningful contests. That run has also restored them to their familiar perch atop the league table, and boosted their average Champions League odds to an impressive +363, well ahead of the +700 odds they sported just two weeks ago.

Bundesliga table after Matchday 23. pic.twitter.com/u7hVwWvxEd

— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) February 24, 2020

Now perched as lofty -250 home favorites in their second-leg clash with Chelsea on March 18, Bayern are poised to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals for an eighth straight season. However, glory has eluded the FCB since claiming the last Champions League title in 2013. The club has failed to advance past the semifinals in their six appearances since, capped by a stunning 3-1 loss on home turf to Liverpool that sealed their fate in the Round of 16 a year ago.

Indeed, it is the Reds and Manchester City that likely present the greatest threat to Bayern’s bid for the UCL title.

City, Reds Present Greatest Threat

Perched as steady +275 favorites, City entered the Round of 16 facing the specter of a two-year ban from the tournament, resulting from alleged sponsorship revenue reporting irregularities. That has brought a sense of urgency to the Citizens, which they demonstrated in their 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in first-leg action.

And with the Premier League title all but sewn up, Liverpool has turned their focus to Europe. The Reds dropped a 1-0 decision to Atletico Madrid in their first-leg tilt, halting the club’s 14-match win streak across all competitions, and dipping their odds to a longer and attractive +650.

#BayernMunich form v English clubs:
London clubs:
19-20 W Chelsea 3-0 (a)
19-20 W Spurs 3-1 (h)
19-20 W Spurs 7-2 (a)
16/17 W Arsenal 5-1 (a)
16/17 W Arsenal 5-1 (h)
15/16 W Arsenal 5-1 (h)

non-London clubs:
18-19 L LFC 3-1 (h)
18-19 D LFC 0-0 (a)
14/15 L Man City 3-2 (a)

— Derek Brosnan (@DerekBrosnan) February 26, 2020

Bayern has enjoyed little recent success against either Premier League powerhouse, going winless in four all-time meetings with the Reds, and posting just one win in four non-friendly dates with City. But with the FCB offense now awakened from its early-season slumber and firing on all cylinders, potting 3.33 goals per game during their 11-1-0, Bayern looks to be peaking at just the right time, and may only offer value for a limited time in the odds to win their year’s Champions League.

Pick: Bayern Munich (+375)