Champions League Betting Preview

It’s second leg time in the Last 16 of the Champions League and as of Tuesday night we’ll start to know who this year’s quarter finalists will be. Barcelona are expected to be there, despite giving Arsenal a one goal headstart for tonight’s clash in Spain, and are currently 11/5 to become European Champions again. Wenger’s team are 23/10 to knock out the favourites and that would see their current 16/1 trophy odds crash in an instance.

In the less publicised Tuesday fixture Skakhtar Donetsk start as strong favourites with home advantage and a 3-2 lead over Roma. Although seen as a shoo-in for the last eight, the Ukranians are still 40/1 for the trophy and therefore, presumably, will be a team the big boys will want to get drawn against in the next round. Roma will have other ideas, but the Italians are 6/1 shots just to progress.

In Wednesday’s glamour tie Spurs entertain AC Milan with a one goal cushion that makes them 2/7 to qualify. The Italian giants are priced at 11/4 with VictorChandler to turn the tie around and dump the Londoners out. Spurs have come in to 16/1 for the trophy, with the Rossoneri at 40/1.

The final midweek game in the Champions League sees the only fixture currently poised on level terms. Schalke 04 will have been the happiest of the two teams when former Madrid legend Raul scored a crucial equaliser to make it 1-1 in Valencia. The bookies have this down as the toughest tie to call with the Germans only marginal favourites to progress at 8/11 with the Spaniards commonly priced at 11/10.