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Real Madrid Now 16-1 Average Odds to Win Champions League After Loss to Shakhtar Donetsk; +190 Odds to Win Group B

Daniel Coyle

by Daniel Coyle in Soccer News

Updated Mar 5, 2021 · 11:51 AM PST

La Liga Matchday 25
Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy, right, celebrates with Real Madrid's Raphael Varane end of the Champions League, round of 16, first leg soccer match between Atalanta and Real Madrid, at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
  • Real Madrid fading in UEFA Champions league odds in wake of stunning loss to Shakhtar Donetsk
  • Los Blancos have dipped to as long as +1800 to lift the trophy with average odds of +1600, and to +190 second-favorites to finish atop the Group B table
  • We’ve got you covered with the most recent Champions League odds after Matchday 1 in the group stage

Real Madrid kicked off their UEFA Champions League in unexpected fashion, dropping a 3-2 decision to Shakhtar Donetsk in group stage action. The loss has had an immediate impact on the club’s position in the Champions League odds.

Los Blancos have tumbled to +190 second-favorites in the odds to win Group B after opening as heavy -134 chalk, and have also faded to a +1400 bet at DraftKings to claim their first UCL title in three years. However, their odds have lengthened to as much as +1800 at Bet365, giving them average odds of +1600 now.

Odds to Win UEFA Champions League

Team Odds
Bayern Munich +300
Manchester City +500
Liverpool FC +700
Paris Saint-Germain +1000
FC Barcelona +1100
Juventus FC +1300
Real Madrid +1400
Chelsea FC +2000
Manchester United +2000
Atletico Madrid +2700
Atalanta BC +3000
Inter Milan +3000
Borussia Dortmund +4000
Sevilla FC +4000
RB Leipzig +6000
SS Lazio +8000

Odds taken October 22, 2020 at DraftKings

Real Extend Slide with Stunning Loss

Wednesday’s loss to Shakhtar as heavy -550 chalk extends what has been a middling start to the 2020/2021 season for the reigning La Liga champions. Pegged as a +1167 average bet to win this season’s Champions League prior to the start of the group stage, Real have claimed victory in just three of their first six outings across all competitions, and now ride a two-match losing streak into this weekend’s El Clasico matchup with archrivals FC Barcelona at Camp Nou.

Raising further concern is how Real lost this week. The club turned in a listless performance against a Shakhtar squad that has been decimated by an outbreak of COVID-19, contributing to a rash of health concerns that left them short seven starters in Wednesday’s contest in Madrid. Real bench boss Zinedine Zidane has been quick to publicly take responsibility for the loss, and with good reason. Los Blancos had the look of a club looking beyond the match at hand for a second straight outing, after losing at home to recently promoted Cadiz in league action last weekend.

Odds to Win Group B – UEFA Champions League

Team Odds to Win Group Odds to Finish Top 2
Inter Milan +170 -167
Real Madrid +190 -155
Borussia Mönchengladbach +375 +110
Shakhtar Donetsk +500 +125

Focus Shifts to UCL After El Clasico

Fortunately for Real, they enjoy plenty of opportunity to right the ship before the current worries spiral into a full blown crisis. However, the club will have to overcome some injury concerns. Oft-injured midfielder Eden Hazard is now expected to be sidelined until late November, while Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard, whose bid to claim a spot in the starting XI has been derailed by a reported leg injury. However, there has also been some good news with veteran defender Sergio Ramos getting cleared to return to action after missing the second half of last weekend’s loss to Cadiz with what was feared to be a serious injury.

Regardless of how Saturday’s clash with Barca goes, Real’s focus should be squarely on the Champions League once they have moved past El Clasico, with two of their subsequent three matches coming against Group B rivals Inter Milan and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Los Blancos caught a break with Inter and Gladbach playing to a 1-1 draw in their group stage opener.

Inter, Gladbach Not Tearing It Up

Both Inter and Gladbach have also endured shaky starts to the season. After filling the net in a pair of season-opening victories, Inter have scored just four total goals while going winless in three straight outings in all competitions.

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The Italian side also came away hobbled from their date with Gladbach, with veteran forward Alexis Sanchez suffering a leg injury, and full-back Achraf Hakimi getting pulled from the lineup ahead of game time after testing positive for COVID-19. Gladbach have fared no better on the pitch, posting just two wins in five overall outings, with those victories coming against lower-tier FC Oberneuland in DFB Pokal action and a lone Bundesliga league win against winless Koln.

Too Early to Give Up on Real

A loss in either of those upcoming matches could prove to be fatal to a Real squad that has lifted the Champions League trophy in four of the past seven years. However, Los Blancos have proven their ability to bounce back from rough patches, enduring a shaky start to last season before embarking on an impressive 19-7-1 win-draw-loss run. Simply put, it is far too early to give up on Real. Indeed, their current faded odds offer a great opportunity for loyal sports bettors to double down on the La Liga champs, both to win their group and as a solid value bet to claim this season’s Champions League title.

The Picks: Real Madrid to win Group B (+190); Real Madrid to win UCL (+1400)

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