Real Madrid named 6th-favourite to win the Champions League - Reports
Real Madrid might have eased their way into the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, but the Los Blancos are not considered the favorites to win the tournament this year.
According to Marca, bookmakers have named the La Liga giants as sixth-favorite to win the UEFA Champions League this season. Real Madrid have not been too impressive in the tournament in the current campaign and the bookmakers do not expect the Los Blancos to win the coveted Champions League trophy this year.
Real Madrid are the only La Liga side left in the tournament that now has three teams from the Premier League, two from the Bundesliga and one from the Primera Liga. According to the bookies, only Borussia Dortmund and FC Porto have lesser chances of winning the Champions League than the Spanish side.
Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain are considered the favorites to lift the trophy, while Liverpool and Chelsea are also placed ahead of Los Blancos in the bookies' list.
Real Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League in the Round of 16 by Manchester City last season. The Los Blancos failed to bolster their squad over the summer, and as a result, their chances of winning the trophy this term are believed to be slim.
The Spanish giants have also missed the services of Eden Hazard. However, even if the Belgian regains match fitness in time for the quarter-finals, Real Madrid’s fortunes in the Champions League this season are not expected to change. Hazard has played just three of Real Madrid’s eight games in Europe this season and is currently nursing a muscle injury.
Real Madrid advanced to the knockout stage of the UCL after topping the group table
Real Madrid were drawn in a tough group in the Champions League this season, alongside Inter Milan, Borussia Monchengladbach, and Shakhtar Donetsk. However, the La Liga giants still managed to advance to the knockout stages of the competition.
Zinedine Zidane’s wards won three of their six games in the group stages while losing twice, and ended up topping the group with ten points. In the knockout stages, Los Blancos won the away leg against Atalanta 1-0 and then secured a 3-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu to win the tie 4-1 on aggregate.
However, bookmakers are only offering a share of €11 per bet for Real Madrid winning the Champions League. It remains to be seen whether Zidane can conjure up a miracle and prove the naysayers wrong.