The Champions League begins again this week and for the four 
English Premier League representatives, it offers them a chance to become the first English team since Chelsea back in June 2012 to lift the most prestigious of all club trophies.
Last season, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool managed to reach the final but were defeated 3-1 by Real Madrid in a memorable game which saw Gareth Bale net a superb overhead kick and Liverpool keeper Loris Karius commit two horrendous blunders which effectively handed the victory to Real.
Victory however has eluded teams since 2012, with only Bayern Munich, plus the big two Spanish clubs Real Madrid (on four occasions) and Barcelona winning the Champions League since Chelsea’s victory over six years ago.
So, what are the chances for the English teams on breaking this run in this year’s competition? Let’s take a look at the odds for the Outright Winner market of the Champions League with bet365 Sport to find out.
Remember too, if you are not yet a member with bet365 Sport, you can sign up today as a new customer with the latest bet365 Welcome Bonus offer.
Champions League Outright Winner Odds
INSERT bet365 ODDS
*Odds correct as of 1.30pm on Monday 17th September 2018
Champions League Chances
Manchester City – 9/2 favourites
- Drawn in Group F along with Shakhtar Donetsk, Lyon and Hoffenheim
Champions League Fixtures
- Matchday 1 v Lyon (H) – 8pm – Wed 19th Sep
- Matchday 2 v Hoffenheim (A) – 5.55pm – Tue 2nd Oct
- Matchday 3 v Shakhtar Donetsk (A) – 8pm – Tue 23rd Oct
- Matchday 4 v Shakhtar Donetsk (H) – 8pm – Wed 7th Nov
- Matchday 5 v Lyon (A) – 8pm – Tue 27th Nov
- Matchday 6 v Hoffenheim (H) – 8pm – Wed 12th Dec
Manchester City Champions League Squad
- Goalkeepers – Ederson, Grimshaw
- Defenders – Walker, Danilo, Kompany, Stones, Laporte, Mangala, Mendy, Otamendi
- Midfielders – Sterling, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Delph, Sane, Silva, Bernardo, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Zinchenko
- Attackers – Aguero, de Jesus
Phil Foden qualifies as a young player born after 1st Jan 1997 who has been at City for two years.
Champions League History
- Winners – 0
- Runners Up – 0
- Semi Finalists – 1 (2015-16)
Chances of winning in 2018/19?
The bookmakers rate Manchester City as the favourites for this year’s Champions League, perhaps in part due to their relatively easy initial group, allied with a much tougher group phase for some of their main rivals.
There’s no doubt City have the quality to win this tournament, yet last year they came unstuck heavily 5-1 on aggregate against Liverpool in the quarterfinals and they’ll need to learn from that to have any chance of progressing further in this year’s competition.
On their day though City can be a match for any team and if they can get it right in the crucial knockout phase, something that they have failed to do so in the past, then they could be the British team with the best chance of ending the six-year drought without a win this season.
Liverpool – 12/1
- Drawn in Group C along with Paris St Germain, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade
Champions League Fixtures
- Matchday 1 v Paris St Germain (H) – 8pm – Tue 18th Sep
- Matchday 2 v Napoli (A) – 8pm – Wed 3rd Oct
- Matchday 3 v Red Star Belgrade (H) – 8pm– Wed 24th Oct
- Matchday 4 v Red Star Belgrade (A) – 5.55pm – Tue 6th Nov
- Matchday 5 v Paris St Germain (A) – 8pm – Wed 28th Nov
- Matchday 6 v Napoli (H) – 8pm – Tue 11th Dec
Liverpool Champions League Squad
- Goalkeepers – Alisson, Mignolet
- Defenders – Clyne, Van Dijk, Lovren, Moreno, Robertson, Matip, Fabinho
- Midfielders – Wijnaldum, Milner, Henderson, Keita, Lallana, Shaqiri
- Attackers – Firmino, Mane, Salah, Sturridge, Solanke, Origi
Joe Gomez, Ben Woodburn and Trent Alexander Arnold qualify as young players born after 1st Jan 1997 who have been at Liverpool for two years.
Champions League History
- Winners – 5 (1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005)
- Runners Up – 3 (1985, 2006, 2018)
- Semi Finalists – 10 times
Chances of winning in 2018/19?
After a superb performance in reaching the final last year, Liverpool’s hopes of victory unravelled due to two factors. The first was the injury to Mo Salah in the first half, which saw the Egyptian leave the field, and then two second half mistakes from Loris Karius handed Real Madrid a massive boost, leaving the Reds with too much to do.
This season though, Liverpool look to have a much stronger squad and a squad that has been improved significantly over the summer and not too many of their Champions League rivals can claim that.
I think, despite being in a tough group, Liverpool will qualify for the Knockout Phase and then it us up to the luck of the draw as to how they progress, but on their day they are capable of beating anybody and I think they could well be very close again this season.
Don’t put it past the Reds to give themselves a chance of avenging their loss to Real Madrid last season at the home of Atletico Madrid this.
Tottenham Hotspur – 20/1
- Drawn in Group B along with Barcelona, Inter Milan and PSV Eindhoven
Champions League Fixtures
- Matchday 1 v Inter Milan (A) – 5.55pm – Tue 18th Sep
- Matchday 2 v Barcelona (H) – 8pm – Wed 3rd Oct
- Matchday 3 v PSV Eindhoven (A) – 5.55pm – Wed 24th Oct
- Matchday 4 v PSV Eindhoven (H) – 8pm – Tue 6th Nov
- Matchday 5 v Inter Milan (H) – 8pm – Wed 28th Nov
- Matchday 6 v Barcelona (A) – 8pm – Tue 11th Dec
Tottenham Champions League Squad
- Goalkeepers – Lloris, Vorm, Gazzaniga
- Defenders – Trippier, Rose, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Sanchez, Aurier, Davies
- Midfielders – Dier, Winks, Lamela, Wanyama, Sissoko, Alli, Erikssen, Dembele
- Attackers – Kane, Son, Moura, Llorente
Champions League History
- Winners – 0
- Runners Up – 0
- Semi Finalists – 1 (1961-62)
Chances of winning in 2018/19?
Spurs Champions League pedigree isn’t that great but Mauricio Pochettino’s squad did remain unbeaten against Real Madrid in the group phase last year before being knocked out of the competition by Juventus in the knockout phase.
In truth, Spurs have been dealt a rough hand in the group stage being drawn into a very tough group and it would be an achievement if they managed to get through the group, likely as the runner up to Barcelona.
However, beyond that I don’t see this Spurs team being able to match some of the high-flyers in Europe based on their performances this season and the Round of 16 is I think where their interest will end.
Manchester United – 28/1
- Drawn in Group H along with Valencia, Juventus and Young Boys
Champions League Fixtures
- Matchday 1 v Young Boys (A) – 8pm – Wed 19th Sep
- Matchday 2 v Valencia (H) – 8pm – Tue 2nd Oct
- Matchday 3 v Juventus (H) – 8pm – Tue 23rd Oct
- Matchday 4 v Juventus (A) – 8pm – Wed 7th Nov
- Matchday 5 v Young Boys (H) – 8pm – Tue 27th Nov
- Matchday 6 v Valencia (A) – 8pm – Wed 12th Dec
Manchester United Champions League Squad
- Goalkeepers – De Gea, Grant, Romero
- Defenders – Valencia, Darmian, Dalot, Lindelof, Bailly, Jones, Smalling, Rojo, Shaw, Young
- Midfielders – Pogba, Mata, Lingard, Pereira, Fred, Herrera, Fellaini, Matic, McTominay
- Attackers – Sanchez, Lukaku, Martial
Marcus Rashford qualifies as he was born after 1st Jan 1997 and has played at the club for two years.
Champions League History
- Winners – 3 (1968, 1999, 2008)
- Runners Up – 2 (2009, 2011)
- Semi Finalists – 10 times
Chances of winning in 2018/19?
United reached the Round of 16 last season but were surprisingly beaten by Sevilla at Old Trafford to suffer elimination. Jose Mourinho will have learned a lot from that performance and I am sure United will improve on that this season.
However, they face a tough task in the group stage, Juventus will be a real test home and away and while Valencia have started the season poorly in La Liga, they always pose a stern test for United, especially in Spain. However Young Boys should not be too much of a problem for United.
That said, United need to discover greater consistency in Europe and I think they’ll get that this season. I see them qualifying from this group behind Juventus and then maybe making it through the Round of 16, but I think the quarterfinal stage is where they will eventually come unstuck.
