The UEFA Champions League is synonymous with thrilling narratives, but things don’t always work out the way the heavyweights expect. Last season, Borussia Dortmund upset the odds. They defied their fifth-place Bundesliga finish to reach the Wembley showpiece and, had it been for some more clinical strikers, very well could have beaten the eventual champions Real Madrid.
Tournament Revamp
This season, the most elite tournament in European club football has undergone a huge revamp. The eight groups of four initial phase has now been replaced with a huge 36-team league, with teams finishing in the top 24 progressing to various different knockout stages.
The last time the competition underwent a new lick of paint back in 2004, Jose Mourinho’s FC Porto emerged as the shock winners after defeating Monaco in the final. A year later, a Liverpool team far weaker than the one we know today, containing the likes of Djimi Traore, managed to miraculously reign supreme in Istanbul.
This term, we have already seen underdogs thrive. French duo Lille and Brest – tournament debutants no less – currently find themselves in the top eight and with a direct route to the last 16 within their grasp. Meanwhile, heavyweights such as Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester City could all find themselves eliminated if they don’t pick up results in their final two league games.
So, with chaos currently the order of business, which underdogs could find themselves contesting the final in Munich later this year?
Atletico Madrid
Few teams embody resilience quite like Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone. While the Rojiblancos are no strangers to reaching Champions League finals, they’re still viewed as outsiders on the European stage. With their disciplined defense on full display, they reached two finals in as many years in 2014 and 2016, heartbreakingly losing to cross-city rivals Real Madrid on both occasions.
In the years since, Atleti has attempted to create a new identity. Their maverick manager abandoned his defense-first tactics in an attempt to be more progressive, but that hasn’t brought him as many trophies as he once won. This season, the defense has been the top priority, and several gutsy displays domestically have seen his side power its way to the summit of the La Liga standings at the halfway point, conceding a league-low 12 goals in the process.
On the continent, they haven’t quite been as impressive, but they are still well-positioned to qualify for the knockout stages. A typically Simeone-like performance away at PSG sealed a shock 2-1 victory, with Atleti soaking up wave after wave of Parisian attacks to hit them on the counterattack in the 96th minute through Angel Correa. That performance will set them up well for the knockout stages.
The latest sports betting odds, however, don’t seem too convinced. With the campaign already underway, it’s the live sports betting at Bovada that one needs to check to locate odds, with the odds list currently pricing Atleti as long as +4000 to spring the upset. Considering their pedigree in Europe in years gone by and their blistering form in Spain this season, that price certainly looks somewhat generous.
Bayer Leverkusen
If there’s a team that has taken Europe by storm over the last two years, it’s Bayer Leverkusen. Under the guidance of Xabi Alonso, the Bundesliga side romped to the Meisterschale for the first time last season, and they did so in invincible fashion. They very nearly completed a perfect treble, winning both the league and the German Cup without losing a game, only to be beaten by Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin.
This season, they have fallen somewhat behind Bayern Munich in the battle for the Bundesliga, with the Bavarians opening up a narrow lead at the division’s summit. But while they remain in the hunt for a second straight title, Die Werkself has also been shining on the continent as well. They have already beaten both Milan heavyweights and are in the top eight, set to progress to the round of 16.
Keeping hold of manager Alonso in the summer was imperative to their continued growth. He has been coveted by Liverpool, Bayern, and Real Madrid, but he opted to remain at the BayArena with a return to the Champions League in mind. With Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface firing on all cylinders, expect the Spanish boss to prioritize this competition as the campaign progresses, and that could stand them in good stead when it comes to reaching the final – which will be hosted in their home country.
Sporting CP
While Sporting CP is often overshadowed by Portugal’s more illustrious clubs, Porto and Benfica, this season they have emerged as genuine contenders for a deep Champions League run. As we mentioned earlier in this article, the last time the tournament had a restructure, it was a Portuguese team that claimed the crown. This year, the reigning Champions of Portugal are aiming to follow in the footsteps of Mourinho’s Porto.
Their path to the title would have been much more fancied had manager Ruben Amorim remained in charge. But he has since departed for the bright lights of Manchester United, leaving former Vitoria de Guimaraes to take over the reins. Following an initially turbulent start, he has since found his footing, picking up victories against the likes of both Porto and Benfica in recent weeks. With young talents like Gonçalo Inácio and Francisco Trincão led by attacking forces Pedro Gonçalves and goal machine Viktor Gyokeres, they could indeed be a problem in the latter stages of the tournament.