Yesterday evening, December 18 (Hanoi time), the European Football Federation (UEFA) conducted the draw for the 1/8 round of the Champions League. After the draw, there were significant fluctuations in the odds.
Defending champion Man City is probably the most excited team with the draw for the 1/8 round of the Champions League. Because, coach Pep Guardiola's powerful army only has to meet Copenhagen, the team that eliminated city rival MU in the group stage. This will be an opportunity for "Green Man" to prove how much stronger they are than their opponents.
Man City continues to be the number 1 candidate in the Champions League this season
Meeting a weak opponent and playing the second leg at home, Man City therefore has a very high chance of entering the quarterfinals. And thanks to that, the possibility of the blue half of Manchester defending its title increased significantly. We can expect Man City to become the second team in history to defend this title after Real Madrid, the team that won the championship for 3 consecutive years from 2016 to 2018.
After the draw, the odds of Man City successfully defending the Champions League crown are 2/1 (bet 1, get 2). The team that is considered to have the second highest possibility of being crowned in Europe's No. 1 tournament is Bayern Munich. The odds of Harry Kane and his teammates lifting the trophy are 4/1 after the draw for the 1/8 round determined they will meet Italy's Lazio.
The Champions League is the tournament of the big guys. Right behind Bayern Munich, there is rival Real Madrid. The odds for Real Madrid to conquer this tournament are 11/2, only less than Man City and Bayern Munich. The upcoming opponent of "White Vultures" is Leipzig.
The results of the draw for the 1/8 round of the Champions League
Surprisingly, Arsenal is also rated equal to Real Madrid with the same odds of 11/2. Historically, Arsenal has never won this tournament. However, with stability, a clearly defined playing style and a group of young, strong and energetic players, the "Gunners" are naturally rated much higher than their opponent Porto.
PSG and Barcelona are in the next positions. It is a fact that both of these giants have weakened compared to before. Therefore, their championship odds at the present time are 14/1 and 16/1 respectively. In the knock-out round, while PSG only had to encounter Sociedad, Barcelona fought against Napoli.
This season's Champions League round of 16 will take place within 4 weeks. The first leg matches take place on February 13, 14, 20 and 21, 2024. The return matches take place on March 5, 6, 12 and 13, 2024. The Champions League final will take place at Wembley Stadium (London, England) on June 1.
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This is not the first time coach Pep Guardiola has had the opportunity to attend the FIFA Club World Cup. In fact, the Spanish coach was crowned twice in 2009 and 2011 with Barcelona. However, this is the first time in history that Man City Club has the honor of participating in the tournament of champions.
Man City competes for Club World Cup: Guardiola is concerned, there is a risk of Haaland - De Bruyne not being able to play in time - 1
Man City fans dream of the first FIFA Club World Cup title in the club's history
For that reason, coach Pep Guardiola is determined to bring home the title to the Etihad Stadium team: "We want to win the championship, that is the last trophy we are missing. This is an opportunity to capture every title possible, because we likely won't have another chance. The season is entering a fierce phase and participating in the FIFA Club World Cup is also difficult."
In particular, Coach Guardiola and Man City players seemed excited about the weather in Saudi Arabia, the country hosting the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup. Coach Guardiola continued: "The weather here is like a dream. We're not used to the warm sunshine in England in December, so coming here to compete is great. Man City wants to have a longer rest time, but cannot. We have to keep going and do our best. I won't complain about playing in this tournament, and it's an honor to meet Urawa Reds."
Right before the tournament, the World Football Federation (FIFA) reached an agreement to organize the FIFA Club World Cup super tournament with 32 teams participating in the summer of 2025 in the US. When asked about the new format of the tournament, the Man City captain was concerned about the problem of players having to work too hard.
Coach Guardiola commented: “I think FIFA has made a decision and all clubs support the schedule. I'm part of the club and I'm not against new tournaments, I'm just against too little break between seasons. Playing 3 days/match is not a problem, but it is difficult to start the new season with only 3 weeks of rest."