2023 Champions League winners Manchester City begin their European title defence with a home tie against Red Star Belgrade when the 2023/24 competition kicks off on 19th September.
Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues will start again as favourites with the Champions League 2023 betting odds, here at SBOTOP, pricing them as low as 3.00 to retain the title; even before a ball is kicked. They won the historic treble last season and have started the new Premier League campaign with four straight wins, so things are looking ominous for their European rivals; not least Red Star.
City have dominated the UK, winning five of the last six league titles and the odds say the will make it six from seven and four in a row. Guardiola has bought well again in the summer, bringing in centre back Josko Gvardiol and midfield enforcer Mateo Kovacic and they look stronger than ever, so we may be about to witness a period of Sky Blue European domination.
Kane meets at old Foe
Bayern Munich are one of the Champions League heavyweights who will be doing all they can to stop City, and they will start their campaign against Manchester United, the Sky Blues’ frustrated neighbours. Erik Ten Hag’s side has made an underwhelming start to their league campaign, with two wins and two draws and they will hope their Champions League 2023 results are rather more consistent.
Bayern’s latest big name, Harry Kane, will lead the line for the hosts; he has started his first Bundesliga season well and will be looking forward to meeting an old enemy in the Red Devils who have had many a tasty clash with his former club Spurs.
The Bavarians are second favourites, at odds of 6.50, to win the 2024 European title and odds on to win this first game at a price of 1.58.
Union date for Los Blancos
Real Madrid is another European powerhouse which will be on the trail of Manchester City. Carlo Ancelotti’s side are the third favourites, at odds of 9.00, to win the title and they have a chance to get off to a winning start against the relatively unknown Union Berlin. Urs Fischer’s side are new to the big time having played in the second tier of the German league as recently as 2019, and they qualified for the Champions League for the first time when vice captain Rani Khedira scored an 81st minute goal against Werder Bremen to secure a top four spot on the final day of the 2022/23 Bundesliga campaign.
Croatian winger Josip Juuranovic is a player to watch, with his surging runs down the wing and willingness to join the Berlin attack, while Los Blancos fans and neutrals will be looking forward to seeing Jude Bellingham in action.
Newcastle’s European Adventure starts in Milan
Magpies boss Eddie Howe has set himself a high standard at St James’ Park having guided moneybags Newcastle United to the Champions League in his first full season in charge. The Geordies have made a tricky start to the new domestic campaign with three points from the first four games, which has left them playing catch up on the leading pack; and Howe must now balance English and European priorities. Newcastle are joint ninth favourites at a price of 26.00 to win the European crown at their first attempt and that puts them alongside Champions League grandees such as Atletico Madrid and last year’s finalists Inter Milan. In fact, Newcastle’s first opponents, AC Milan, are further adrift at a price of 36.00… so does that make I Rossoneri the underdogs for this historic clash?
The quick answer is ‘no’.
With home advantage Milan are the favourites at 2.26 to win this opener and with veteran striker Olivier Giroud and the highly rated Rafael Leao bang in form I Rossoneri will be hard to beat.
It’s a big game for Newcastle’s new boy Sandro Tonali who transferred from AC Milan in the summer, and is sure to start against his old mates.
Can PSG finally break the Glass Ceiling?
The pressure is always on whoever is in charge of Paris Saint-Germain to win in Europe, and no-one has succeeded as yet. Luis Enrique is the latest manager to try but he has an unenviable task, with his team sixth favourites at odds of 15.40 to win the title. Can anyone really seeing the Parisiens seeing off Manchester City, FC Bayern and Real Madrid?
Not me!
The one thing in their favour is that Kylian Mbappe is still at the club and firing, he scored twice in PSG’s win over Lyon last weekend; and he has been joined by France colleagues Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona and Randal Kolo Muani from Eintracht Frankfurt. It’s an exciting attack and PSG are at odds of 1.64 to win their opener at home to Borussia Dortmund. That game is a must win for Enrique’s peace of mind!
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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