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Champions League
The Champions League is arguably the greatest club competition in the world. There is no tournament on the planet
which can produce the sort of football that leaves the world on the edge of their sofas, time and time again.
Every true footballer with a passion for the sport dreams of playing in the Champions League at least once in
their career, but with qualifying made even tougher. Only the very best actually get the opportunity to do so.
The main lure of Champions League football is the fact that so many quality players are on show at any given
time. Steven Gerrard, Kaka, Frank Ribery and let's not forget the current World Player of the Year in Christiano
Ronaldo. These were just a few of the names who featured in last years Champions League. It is also a tournament
where each side in Europe battles it out for the tag of Europe's greatest club side. Barcelona had the honour
last season but with the English league being constantly delved into by rich investors, many are fancying the
chances of another English side lifting the trophy next season.
Brief History
The title itself has been won by 21 different teams, 12 of which have won the crown on more then one occasion.
Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester United are to name but a few. The all-time record holder is Real Madrid
with nine Champions League titles. That is some feat, However, five of those nine wins came in the first five
years of the competitions existence and Madrid have not won the Champions League since their 1-0 victory over
Bayer Leverkusen back in 2002. The 'Galacticos' as they like to be known, are under new management now and with
big names already heading through the front door. Many are expecting the old Real Madrid to make an instant
impact on this years forthcoming competition.
Most Champions League titles
Real Madrid - 9
AC Milan - 7
Liverpool - 5
Bayern Munich - 4
Ajax - 4
English Dominance
The last four or so years has seen the competition literally dominated by English sides. Liverpool won the trophy
back in 2005, Arsenal then lost the 2006 final, Liverpool couldn't make it two in three years as they lost the
2007 final while the 2008 final featured a Chelsea versus Manchester United battle with 'The Red Devils' coming
out on top. The rest of Europe has had to stand up and take notice of the English premier League but that could
all come to end if Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid have anything to do with it.
Barcelona were simply sublime in last seasons Champions League final where they comprehensively beat Manchester
United by two goals to nil. Not much has changed with their side although their bitter rivals Real Madrid have
seen several big money coups in the summer and they are widely tipped to go far in next seasons main event.
Champions League 2009-2010
It comes as little surprise that last seasons winners Barcelona are the favourites to repeat that feat for this
years Champions League although the betting market is more open then many might have predicted. However, the
biggest changed has come in Real Madrid's price. They were around 14/1 to win last seasons competition but with
Kaka, Ronaldo and Benzema now all on the Madrid books, the bookies are taking no prisoners and have quoted them
as 6/1 second favourites to win the entire competition with Coral.
The bookmakers haven't ruled out the chances of yet another English team winning the final though with Chelsea,
Manchester United and Liverpool all being quoted as a single figure price to go all the way. United are 7/1 with
Irish firm Boylesports, Chelsea can be had at 8/1 with Expekt.com, while Liverpool look a snip at 9/1 with most
firms. Arsenal, however, aren't fancied to win this seasons spectacle and have been priced up at a massive 16/1
with PaddyPower to produce a memorable Champions League campaign.
Champions League Outright
Barcelona - 5/1 SkyBet
Real Madrid - 6/1 Coral
Man Utd - 7/1 Boylesports
Chelsea - 8/1 Expekt
Liverpool - 9/1 Bet365
Inter Milan - 12/1 BetFred
Arsenal - 16/1 PaddyPower
AC Milan - 20/1 Boylesports
25/1 Bar The Rest
Set up
The set up for the Champions League is pretty simple. Various sides will have qualified for the competition via
their own domestic league and will avoid the unenviable task of having to go through a tow legged qualifying
match. Those in the lesser known footballing countries will have to go through several rounds of knock-out
qualification matches in order to make the group stages.
There are three rounds of qualifying matches where sides from country's such as Malta, Poland, Wales, Kazakhstan
and even are close neighbours Scotland all have to battle it out against sides of similar or better stature for
a place in the Prestigious Champions League. Although playing in the qualification matches does count as
participation in the tournament, but no one really remembers any side until they've made the groups.
The Group Stage is where the competition starts to hot up. There are eight groups consisting of four teams.
Every side still in the competition will be given a seed group. This will either be 1,2,3 or 4, with 1 being the
best sides and 4 being the less experienced Champions League teams. This is to avoid having two of the best
sides in the same group and try and even up the quality of the groups. There is also a restriction on the same
country's playing in the same group.
The teams will then play each other twice. Once at home, the other will be an away fixture. Each side will need
to notch up as many points as they can in order to finish in either 1st or 2nd so they qualify for the last 16,
which is formerly known as the knock-out stage.
Once the knock-out stage commences, teams will be drawn against one another where they will play two games
against each other. One will be at home while the other will be away. The away goals rules comes into account
which means if the tie is level after two games, then away goals will count for double. This will carry on until
there are just two sides left standing. The two sides will then compete in the final itself where if it's level
after 90 minutes, it will go into extra-time and possibly penalties.
It's hard when you're good
Although the football is often sublime to watch, it can be extremely hard to predict. When the great sides go
head-to-head it really does become tough to call. However, we have a few pieces of advice which could enhance
your chances of picking a winner. Once again it all comes down to observations and research.
Group Stage:
Squads - Ensure you check the squads of the teams you're considering betting on. A team can register a
maximum of 25 players but bear in mind that players who have already competed in the early qualifying rounds of
the competition will be ineligible to play.
Availability -Keep yourself updated with team news. Injuries are part of the game but ensure you stay one
step ahead with the injury news before betting on any CL game. Also, suspensions. If a player receives two yellow
cards in the group stages then he will miss the next game. If a player receives a red card then they will miss
the following three matches. However, once the group stages are over. All yellow cards are wiped clear.
Situation - When betting on teams playing group matches, make sure you do your homework in regards to the
teams group standing. This is extremely important when the groups are coming to a close as some teams may need a
specific result in order to guarantee themselves a place in the next round.
Domestically preoccupied - To many clubs, the Champions League will be the main priorty for the season.
However, if life back in their domestic league isn't going too well then you may well see some sides reverting
back to concentrating on league fixtures. Make sure you always keep one eye on the teams respective leagues.
You should also take an interest in their recent fixtures. If they've played just a few days ago in the league
then they may still be a bit tired.
Remember, every side has both league and cup competitions to contend with. The Champions League isn't the
be-all-and-end-all for some sides so bares this in mind, especially at the latter end of the season where teams
can be competing in several big games in a short period of time.
Venues - Home advantage is crucial in Europe. This is especially the case for some of the newer sides in
the competition. The big names don't like travelling to unknown territory. Some crowds can be very hostile and
this can intimidate some players. Country's like Turkey are well known for their hostile atmospheres so be
careful when backing a side on their travels.
It's also worth making a mental note of some of the more prestigious stadiums. For instance, Old Trafford, The
Nou Camp and more notably; Anfield, are just some of the stadiums that teams down the years have found
particularly hard to achieve decent results at.
Knock-out:
Tactics - The knock-out stage is where managers earn their big bucks. The last 16 is where the coaches
turn on their tactical thinking caps in a bid to overcome a side over two legs. This can often lead to one team
defending in vast numbers for one of the games or both if the opposition is superior. Do your homework on the
managers left in the competition. Rafael Benitez is known throughout Europe as a master tactician and he is
one of many.
Record - Check up on the teams previous knock-out record. Teams like Liverpool and Chelsea have a knack of
going deep into the Champions League whereas sides like Porto often reach the last 16 but tend to filter away
when facing the bigger sides.
Suspensions - Just two yellow cards is enough to miss the next game. Make sure you check each team for any
suspensions or players currently on one yellow card. Players who have already received a yellow card in a
previous match will be a lot more cautious when approaching tackles.
Away Goals - Remember that if the match is level at the two legs have been played, it will go down to away goals.
Away goals count for double once the last 16 commences so expect a lot of tactics involving goals scored away
from home.
2009-2010 Competitors
As ever, this years competition is crammed full of quality sides. Six time winners AC Milan make a swift return
after failing to qualify for the Champions League last season. Juventus have re-established themselves in Seria
A while German giants Bayern Munich will be hoping to stamp their mark on this years Champions League.
The vast majority of the bigger clubs have already reserved a spot in this years competition although there are
still a few spots up for grabs via qualification. Arsenal will have to overcome a two-legged tie if they are to
take part this season although that should be a formality providing they avoid a potential banana skin. The love
story though with the Champions League is the fact that anyone could potentially qualify for the group stages
with country's such as Malta, The Faroe Island and even the home nations; Wales and Ireland all attempting to
work their way through some tough qualification games in order to participate in arguably the greatest club
competition in the world.
Guaranteed Participants:
Barcelona - Spain V Rubin Kazan - Russia
Real Madrid - Spain V CSKA Moscow - Russia
Sevilla - Spain
Porto - Portugal
Chelsea - England
Liverpool - England V Unirea Urziceni - Romania
Manchester United - England
Porto - Portugal
AC Milan - Italy
Inter Milan - Italy V AZ Alkmaar - Holland
Juventus - Italy
Rangers - Scotland
Bordeaux - France
Marseille - France V Beskitas - Turkey
Bayern Munich - Germany V Dynamo Kiev - Ukraine
Wolfsburg - Germany
Standard Liege - Belgium
More information:
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