Champions League Quarter Final betting

Football betting preview for the Champions League

Reigning European champions FC Barcelona will continue the defence of their crown after being paired with the side they beat to win the competition in 2006, Arsenal, in the quarter finals. The Catalan giants powered past Stuttgart in the last 16 defeating the Germans 5-1 on aggregate and they travel to the Emirates to do battle with Arsene Wenger’s gunners in the first leg. Juliano Belletti’s winner broke Arsenal hearts in the final in the Stade de France almost four years ago, and Barca are 5/4 favourites to record another success over the North Londoners and take a lead back to the Nou Camp. The gunners are a generous 7/4 to make home advantage count before travelling to Spain with a priceless lead, while a draw in the first leg is being chalked up at 11/5. Pep Guardiola’s side have been replaced at the summit of La Liga in recent week by El Classico rivals Real Madrid but they are a very short 2/5 to brush aside Arsenal into the semi-finals. Wenger’s side have never tasted Champions League success and are currently fourth favourites at 9/1 to fly the trophy back to the capital.

Last Friday’s draw in Nyon, Switzerland, was the first time since 1998/99 that six nations were represented in the quarter final draw, and a first time that a team from Russia had advanced this far in the competition. CSKA Moscow’s 3-2 aggregate victory over Sevilla, meant they were Russia’s sole representatives after Rubin Kazan’s group stage exit. Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan provide the opposition for a team that could only muster a fifth place finish in the Russian Premier League last season. Chelsea’s conquerors Inter lie in wait after comprehensively defeating the Blues over the two legs in the last round. The San Siro plays host to the first leg and at 6/1 the bookmakers feel the away side have little chance of taking a lead back to the Russian capital. The ‘Special One’s’ Internazionale are a short 2/5 to take the first leg while the draw pays out at 11/4. The Milanese have not won the European cup since back to back successes in 1964 and 1965 and Hills list them as third favourites to win the competition outright at 10/3. CSKA are the rank outsiders for European glory at 33/1.

The S.A.S put Bayern Munich to the sword 11 years ago when Manchester United met Germany’s most successful club in the1998/99 Champions League Final. Two years later Bayern beat United in the quarter-finals en route to lifting the trophy themselves. And this year’s quarter-final meeting will provide an intriguing test for Sir Alex Ferguson‘s side who humiliated AC Milan 7-2 over two legs in the previous round. But United cannot call on Sheringham and Solskjaer this time around when they travel to the Allianz Arena to challenge the Bavarian outfit. Bet365 cannot separate the pair who have won Europe’s biggest club prize no fewer than seven times between them. Louis Van Gaal’s men are 6/4 to record a victory after away goals in Florence ensured progression; the Red Devils are the same price to gain an advantage while the draw is trading at 21/10. United are odds on at 4/9 to breeze past Munich and into the semi-finals. And they are second favourites to repeat their 2008 success in Moscow at 3/1 and prevent Barcelona being the first club to retain the Champions League. Bayern are a distant 12/1 to win the competition outright.

The two remaining French clubs left in the competition were drawn against one another in the quarter finals. Current Ligue 1 leaders Bordeaux make the journey east to Lyon, who find themselves languishing in 6th place in the French league, five points adrift of their Champions League opponents. But they did manage to provide the shock of the round last time out, gaining an invaluable draw in the Bernebeu against the Galacticos of Real Madrid. Miralem Pjanic’s volleyed strike sent Madrid’s £200 million assembled squad crashing out of the competition early and kept Lyon on track for a maiden European success. Lyon’s first leg home advantage means they are slight favourites to come out victors at 21/20 before the return leg in Bordeaux, who are 11/5. A draw in the Stade de Gerland is a plausible 21/10. Both Lyon and Bordeaux are long price outsiders to lift the Champions League crown in the Santiago Bernabeu on 22 May, the former at 14s and the latter 16s.

Cristiano Ronaldo may have no further part to play in this years Champions league but the seven goals he has already amassed thus far, make him 11/8 favourite to finish as the competitions top scorer. Wayne Rooney and Lionel Messi are both stuck on four goals and are joint second favourites at 9/4. But with potentially five games still left to play, lump on either overtaking the Portuguese ace in the goalscoring charts.

Reccomended bets: Wayne Rooney to be Champions League top goalscorer

Click here to view all free bets from online bookmakers

Article by Mikey Mumford