As it stands, Manchester City won’t be winning the UEFA Champions League title in 2021. Nor 2022. They were hit with a two-season ban from UEFA club competition on Friday.
But while the fallout and no doubt, appeal by City against the decisions rumbles on, there is still this season’s Champions League to size up. Can City lift the trophy this year?
2019/20 Champions League Winner Odds*
Manchester City 4/1
Liverpool 9/2
Barcelona 6/1
Bayern Munich 7/1
PSG 7/1
Juventus 10/1
Real Madrid 14/1
Tottenham 25/1
33/1 bar
* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on February 15th 2020 at 03:46)
Premier League Betting at Bet365
Table of Contents
Citizens remain favourites
There is so much talk about Guardiola’s obsession with the UEFA Champions League. The Citizens are the outright favourites to the tune of 4/1 current to win this season’s campaign* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on February 15th 2020 at 03:46).
This latest news will make punters wonder if the ban will spur them on even more this season to get the title.
City will go into the round of sixteen with a tough tie against Real Madrid to handle, however. That wasn’t a great draw for the Citizens. But the fact that the bookies do still have them as outright favourites says a lot.
City are 8/15 odds-on To Qualify from their round of sixteen tie * (betting odds taken from Bet365 on February 15th 2020 at 03:46)
Ban to have a massive current impact?
There is a chance of course, that the bad news about the long term future, could have a massively positive impact on the current future. What it City cannot get the ban overturned?
It would leave them in a very strange position.
In a realistic outcome, the club would be able to sacrifice their Premier League campaign to throw the kitchen sink at the UEFA Champions League.
What if it doesn’t matter to them if they finish in the EPL top four this season or not? They are, as it stands, banned from all UEFA club competition for two years. So then all motivation for the domestic campaign goes out of the window.
Champions League a bigger target
City could rest players in the league fixtures immediately ahead of Champions League matches. That, in turn, could give them a massive boost. It could be a season in which they just go for broke on the European front, and try and retain the EFL Cup and FA Cup.
They could have just been handed a green card to just go for the big one this season, Pep’s favourite, without having to worry about the Premier League position.
Manchester City incidentally, are the 6/5 favourite to be the first team to beat Liverpool in this season’s Premier League* (betting odds taken from Paddy Power on February 15th 2020 at 03:40).
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