The stage has been set for the next round of the UEFA Champions League, with the next part of the competition set to truly test the teams that are still involved.
Indeed, the tournament is not known to be an elite club competition without reason, as Europe’s best teams continue to compete against each other to try and win the biggest prize in club football, and essentially be crowned the best team in the world in doing so.
Now, that the Group Stage of the competition is over, many will be looking ahead to the upcoming Round of 16 ties, with each of these set to commence in the new year once the football restarts following a hectic festive period and a time in which the 2022 FIFA World Cup takes place in an untraditional slot.
What does the Round of 16 look like?
Naturally, with 16 teams left in this stage of the competition, there will be a total of eight matches to be played across two legs in a knockout format, thus making the games to be played more competitive than ever. The team that manages to win the tie over the two legs will then be able to progress to the Quarterfinals, before then competing to advance to the Semifinals and then the Final which will take place in Istanbul at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium on June 10, 2023.
So, how does the draw look? Let’s take a look below…
● Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich
● AC Milan vs Tottenham Hotspur
● Club Brugge vs SL Benfica
● Borussia Dortmund vs Chelsea
● Eintracht Frankfurt vs SSC Napoli
● Liverpool vs Real Madrid
● RB Leipzig vs Manchester City
● Inter Milan vs FC Porto
As it can be seen from the list, there are a number of mouth-watering ties set to take place across February and March, with fans and sports bettors alike set to be able to enjoy a number of potentially incredible viewing experiences involving each of the 16 teams left in this stage of the competition.
Who are the favorites?
Given that there are eight ties above that can provide entertainment to everyone, including sports betting enthusiasts, it should not come as a surprise to learn that so many are already looking at the available odds ahead of the restart in regard to the potential winner of the overall tournament.
Indeed, the football betting odds made available currently show that Manchester City are the clear favorites to win outright, with Pep Guardiola’s side listed at 7/4, while second-favorites FC Bayern Munich are listed at 7/1.
Naturally, this might be due to the Round of 16 draw that has taken place, with the English Premier League tie given an “easier tie” on paper than the Bavarians, who will look to take on PSG (9/1) over the next two legs in a repeat of the 2020 UCL Final.
Liverpool are listed third at 9/1 despite being paired with current champions Real Madrid (14/1) while Napoli are listed at 12/1. Chelsea and Tottenham are priced at 18/1 and 20/1 respectively.
What about the Golden Boot race?
The race for the title is not the only possible betting opportunity fans have for this huge competition, with the race for the Golden Boot also one that many sports betting enthusiasts continue to look at.
This year’s race appears to be a little tighter in regard to a number of possible winners, with a range of options available that are priced closely together. For instance, both Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are priced at 7/4. The Frenchman perhaps has the upper hand, as he has seven goals whereas the Norwegian has five, although he simply cannot be ruled out.
Additionally, Mohamed Salah will be involved in the race as he has seven goals and leads alongside Mbappe, although his odds of 7/2 suggest he may struggle to keep up in the knockout stages of the competition.
Porto’s Mehdi Taremi has been in sensational form in front of goal throughout the UEFA Champions League, with the Iranian striker having netted five himself, although odds of 20/1 suggest he will not be involved too much in the race.
Final Thoughts
The UCL is one of the world’s biggest competitions and one that attracts fans from all over the world, and it is no surprise that there are so many different betting opportunities fans can take advantage of.
The Round of 16 has the potential to showcase some of the best European football has to offer, and hopefully, it will do just that ahead of the next stage of the tournament!
