2010/11 Champions League outright betting odds

The draw for the Champions League group stage took place in Monaco on Thursday evening and the bookmakers have been cutting the odds on BARCELONA regaining their European title ever since. It is generally accepted that the Spanish champions have been handed some favourable opponents to play twice over the next few months and Pep Guardiola’s team are no bigger than 11/4 (Ladbrokes) to triumph.

I can’t actually remember the last time that Barca weren’t favourites to win the European Cup, although they have only reached the final on two of the last five occasions, winning in 2005/6 and 2008/9 and the price is probably a little short considering that a ball hasn’t yet been kicked in anger this season. However, the signings of Javier Mascherano and David Villa can only make them stronger.

Many bookmakers have another Spanish team as second favourites to win the Champions League, with REAL MADRID priced at 5/1 with bet365 to win this competition for the first time since 2001/2. Since then, Real have failed to even reach the final of the European Cup, although the board will hope that Jose Mourinho can change that after steering Porto and Inter Milan to glory in previous seasons. A low coefficient means that they face Pot 1 team AC Milan in the group stages.

Once again, there is likely to be a strong challenge from the English teams in the competition, with CHELSEA (6/1 Paddy Power) the shortest-priced side from the quartet of Premier League teams. The Blues have a fairly easy group with Marseille likely to present the sternest challenge and perhaps this is the season where Carlo Ancelotti delivers what owner Roman Abramovich has been seeking since buying the club at the start of the decade.

MANCHESTER UNITED are also likely to be a force to be reckoned with and Sir Alex Ferguson was angry at the way that Bayern Munich knocked the Red Devils out of the Champions League last season. A fit Rio Ferdinand in defence should mean that United are hard to beat, with Javier Hernandez giving the manager a quality attacking option alongside Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov. Paddy Power go 15/2.

It appears that ARSENAL always seem to progress through the group stages and this season should be no different thanks to an easy group which features Shakhtar, Braga and Partizan. The Gunners have added Marouane Chamakh, Sebastien Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny to the ranks this season and they are a best price 14/1 (Blue Square) to win the European Cup for the first time in their history.

North London rivals TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR would love to progress further than the Arsenal and Harry Redknapp’s team have a lively group which features Champions Inter Milan, Werder Bremen and FC Twente. Spurs remain at 40/1 (Paddy Power) to win the Champions League, although it’s another team from their group that could be celebrating in May. INTER MILAN are 16/1 with Paddy Power to retain their crown and Rafael Benitez knows what’s required to win this competition.