After the draw for the Quarter Finals and Semi Finals of UEFA Champions League 2011/12 was made, the bookmakers set their odds for the teams they felt most likely to win the tournament.
It is no surprise that the Finalists from the past three years, and current holding champs, Barcelona, are favourites to lift the trophy, at current best price of 34/25, though Real Madrid, who lead the Spanish La Liga, are not far behind them at 9/4.
Jose Mourinho’s men seem to have a little edge on Barca when they meet – if not man-to-man – and the coach himself has an excellent record of upsetting the majorly gifted Catalan giants.
Below the two Spanish front runners, there is another side with Champions League heritage, Bayern Munich, who are best-priced at just over 6/1 to lift the UEFA Champions League in 2012.
Next best according to the bookmakers are Chelsea F.C. Despite being without a full-time coach following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas, Chelsea have squeezed through to the Quarter Final stage, and have plenty of ability to warrant odds of 12/1. If they are to win it, however, they must pick up a two-legged victory over either Barcelona or AC Milan in the Semi Final.
Milan themselves are next best in the betting, and probably the last side given any realistic chance of winning the tournament by odds compilers: they are 22/1 before a ball has been kicked in the last eight.
The final three sides are priced according to their extremely slim chances: Benfica, 66/1; Marseille 139/1; and surprise Cypriot package, APOEL Nicosia, are available at 250/1.
The odds box below contains the latest best price odds for UEFA Champions League 2012. Prices above correct before Quarter Final first leg fixtures had been played.
