Chelsea (-129) Slight Favorites Over Sevilla (+140) in Champions League Group E
- With the Champions League Group stage set to start this week, we’re taking a look at the possible favorites in each pod
- In Group E, Chelsea are slight favorites at -129 over the reigning Europa League champions, Sevilla, who are at +140
- Who are the best bets to win this group? Get the odds, preview, and picks below
Another Champions League campaign is upon us, with the group stages of Europe’s most prized competition starting this week.
Group E features Chelsea, Sevilla, Ligue 1 outfit Rennes, and Russian side FC Krasnodar. Currently, the Blues are the favorites ahead of Matchday one, with Sevilla just behind them. Right off the bat, these two heavyweights will clash on Tuesday at Stamford Bridge.
Champions League 2020/21 Group E Odds
| Team | Top-2 Odds | Odds to Win |
|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | -625 | -129 |
| Sevilla | -375 | +140 |
| Rennes | +185 | +900 |
| FC Krasnodar | +600 | +3000 |
Odds taken October 18th
Can The Blues Top Group E?
Although Frank Lampard’s side hasn’t enjoyed the greatest start to the Premier League campaign, they’re still slight favorites to win this group. A busy summer brought in a boatload of new talent into the Chelsea squad, with the likes of Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, and Hakim Ziyech all joining the Blues.
Havertz and Werner have shown glimpses of brilliance so far with a couple of goals to their name, while Ziyech just made his debut over the weekend in a 3-3 draw with Southampton.
Defending has been a major issue for Chelsea over the last couple of years, but they did bring in a couple of reinforcements at the back in Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva. However, they’ve still conceded nine goals in just five domestic matches so far.
Last year’s UCL season for the Blues saw them crash out in the round of 16, where the defending champions Bayern Munich buried them 7-1 across two legs. It was a very disappointing exit for the South London side and they will certainly be looking to get a whole lot further in Europe this term. With a much deeper squad, they should have no issue advancing out of this group.
Sevilla Looking to Give Chelsea a Run For Its Money
Sevilla is coming off a remarkable run in the Europa League last season, winning its sixth title, the most of any side in the history of the competition. Julen Lopetegui’s men beat Inter Milan 3-2 in the final, thanks to Luuk de Jong’s double.
They aren’t off to the greatest start in La Liga, currently 2-1-1 through four matches. Defender Sergio Reguilon’s absence has been felt, as the Spaniard left for Tottenham in the summer. Sevilla finished in fourth spot last term in Spain which booked their ticket into the UCL, but since they won Europa, Sevilla would have automatically been in this year’s competition regardless.
Los Palanganas spent three consecutive years in the Champions League between 2015 and 18′, losing in the quarterfinals to Bayern Munich just two years ago.
Rennes Could be a Diamond in The Rough
Led by French starlet Eduardo Camavinga, Rennes is off to a torrid start in Ligue 1, going undefeated through seven fixtures. They’re currently tied with PSG in first place, having won four and drawn three times. Julien Stephan’s side finished in third place last season and will make their first Champions League appearance in club history.
One could say Rennes are slightly lucky as last year’s season was cut short by ten matches, but considering their form early on, they look to have deserved their spot in Europe. It will be a tough group for them, but it’s going to be interesting to see what they’re able to do against the likes of Chelsea and Sevilla, with former Rennes keeper Edouard Mendy now plying his trade at Stamford Bridge after a summer switch.
FC Krasnodar Enter as Underdog in Group E
Currently in 7th place in the Russian Premier League, FC Krasnodar finds themselves in its first-ever UCL campaign as well after beating Greek club PAOK 4-2 across two legs in the Champions League qualifying playoffs. They finished in third spot in Russia’s top-flight last season. They’re in good form lately as they prepare to take on Rennes, having lost just once in their last five outings.
Krasnodar was in Europa League in 2019/20, losing in the group stage. The previous year, they advanced to the last 16, eventually losing to Valencia.
In total, the Russian side has been in Europa a total of four times. This will be new territory for them and a step in the right direction, but they will definitely have their work cut out for them in this group.
Best Bet
Although Chelsea hasn’t played as well as many people expected yet, I do think it’s fair to label them as favorites in Group E. It’s only a matter of time until all of these new players start to gel together. The Blues should come out on top in this pod, followed by Sevilla in second. Rennes will put up a good fight in their matches against these heavyweights, but in the end, the English and Spanish sides will advance to the knockout stages.
Pick to Win: Chelsea -129
Picks to Finish Top-2: Chelsea -625, Sevilla -375
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
