Real Madrid became the first team to ever successfully defend the Champions League when they beat Juventus 4-1 in the final earlier this month. Many expected the Italian side to win it due to their magnificent defence, but Real simply annihilated them in the second half. The big question now is: can anyone stop them making it three in a row next season?
Real Madrid have looked unstoppable ever since Zinedine Zidane took over as manager. He reined in the biggest egos, forged a harmonious squad and has been rewarded with a magnificent haul of silverware in a short space of time. They are Spanish champions and European champions, and they earned those titles by playing superb attacking football. They have a peerless midfield and can dominate games from start to finish, and they have the world’s most devastating striker in Cristiano Ronaldo. They deserve to be considered the best team in the world right now. So where might the challenge come from?
It is unlikely to be Juventus. Twice now they have reached the final and twice they have been beaten convincingly. The other Italian teams are nowhere near strong enough. Ditto the French giants, PSG and Monaco. The only teams that are on a level with Real right now are Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Green listed bookmakers have released odds for the 2017-18 Champions League outright winner, and these three have the shortest odds. Some have Real as favourites, with prices ranging from 9/2 to 11/2, and others have Barcelona. They are as low as 7/2 with Bet Stars and the highest price on them is 5/1, while Bayern are also priced between 9/2 and 11/2. It is all pretty neck and neck: at 10Bet, all three teams are 5/1.
The only team that came close to stopping Real Madrid this past season was Bayern Munich, who can feel very aggrieved to be knocked out by the Spanish side in the quarter-final due to a dodgy red card and some very dubious offside calls. They will strengthen in the summer and would relish the opportunity to do battle once more with Real.
You cannot imagine Barcelona, winners in 2015, standing still either. There is a fierce rivalry between Barca and Real, and the Catalans will be devastated to have finished three points behind them in La Liga and to have been dumped out of the Champions League by Juventus. There is very little to choose from between Barcelona and Real when they play one another, and Barca came out on top in their last meeting. With Leo Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez up front, Barcelona are peerless going forwards. They are also stronger in defence than Real: not only did they score more than Zinedine Zidane’s men last season, they also conceded fewer. What let Barca down in 2016-17 was a weak midfield. They have failed to replace Xavi and struggled to get a grip on their games against Juventus in the middle of the park. Expect them to strengthen in midfield under a new manager this summer.
But at those odds, it is hard to look past Real right now. They know how to get the job done in the Champions League and can cement their status as the greatest European side of all time if they win it a third consecutive season. They have ferociously driven and competitive players like Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos spurring them on, and at 5/1 they represent less of a risk than Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
But there is still plenty of value to be had further down the field. As previously mentioned, it might be worth writing off Juventus, who never had a better opportunity than this season, with their creaking defence. The same goes for Atletico Madrid, who cannot seem to overcome their hoodoo against city rivals Real Madrid. The French Ligue 1 does not seem competitive enough to yield a genuine Champions League challenger, and the same can be said of the top flights in Portugal, Turkey, the Netherlands, Russia et al.
It is from the Premiership then that a serious dark horse could emerge. Rewind five years, when Chelsea beat Bayern in the Champions League final, and the English were the dominant force in this competition. They had eight finalists in eight years and Man Utd and Liverpool also one it. Real, Barca, Bayern and Juventus have since kicked on and left the Premiership clubs behind, but the Premiership is a sleeping giant and it is about time it was prodded out of its slumber.
Next season Chelsea will be back at Europe’s top table after winning the Premiership at a canter. Their side boasts the likes of Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kante and they are set to strengthen with a £200 million war chest in the summer. Man City will also spend an absolute fortune as Pep Guardiola tries to win the trophy he last seized with Barcelona. Tottenham seem to struggle on the big stage and Liverpool lack the star quality to go all the way, but Man Utd could be a threat after winning the Europa League. Jose Mourinho has won the trophy twice before, defying the odds to win it with Porto and Inter, and his style of management – based on obsessive preparation and an uncanny ability to thwart the world’s most effective attackers – is perfect for knockout competitions. Chelsea and Man Utd (16/1 with 10Bet) can go far in this competition as they have defensive solidity and attacking flair. Chelsea looks like a complete team right now and at 12/1 with Bet365 they look a great option.
Calculators
