After its annual festive period hiatus, the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League campaign is back underway, and it is back with a bang. In the last sixteen, there are a number of mouth-watering ties, including repeats of both the 2020 and 2022 finals. As well as that, there are a whole host of Europe’s less fancied clubs who have made it to the knockout stage at the expense of Champions League regulars such as FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Three years ago, Bayern Munich defeated Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon courtesy of a solitary Kingsley Coman goal. Those two will face off in the second round, with the winners laying down a marker for the rest of the competition. Last June, Vinicius Jr’s goal gave Real Madrid a 1-0 victory over Liverpool in Paris, adding the famous ‘Big Eared’ trophy to the already overflowing cabinet at the Santiago Bernabeu. Those two will also face off in the last sixteen. But who are the favorites for glory this term?
Manchester City Are The Team To Beat
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have been given the tag of favorites by OddsChecker, which compares European football odds and free bets. And they are overwhelming favorites at that. They face off with RB Leipzig in the second round and are expected to progress at a canter. With striker Erling Haaland in the form of his life, it’s clear to see why the Blues are expected to lift their maiden Champions League crown this term.
The winners of the two aforementioned ties will also be among the favorites for glory in Istanbul next June. But we also feel that Napoli could be the ones to spring the shock. The Azzurri are currently the runaway leaders of Serie A this season.
The Outsiders
Napoli are already a mammoth 15 points clear of second place Inter Milan – who will face off with FC Porto in the Champions League second round – in the Italian top flight, and should they continue to enjoy such a lead as the season reaches its latter stages, they may be able to rest a number of their top stars and begin to prioritize the Champions League. That could spell danger to the likes of City, and with striker Victor Osimhen averaging a goal a game so far this season, Luciano Spalletti’s side may well be the ones to watch on the continent this term.
Jason Root is the go-to source for sports coverage at News Rebeat. With a passion for athletics and an in-depth knowledge of the latest sports trends, Jason provides comprehensive and engaging analysis of the world of sports.