As we move into the knockout stages of the 2010 / 2011 UEFA Champions League it is time to make those betting selections. Who will be victorious at Wembley on the 28th May? Below you will find analysis of each of the remaining teams and an in depth review of their chances of glory. I have included the betting prices available on the exchanges current at the time of publishing this article. I have tried to highlight which teams present value in their prices along with my predictions for this competition.AC Milan@ 26
Despite their recent lack of Serie A titles AC Milan are always contenders when it comes to Europe. The Champions League has always been their playground and they always seem to find a way through those tough matches. AC Milan's fate in this year's competition is difficult to predict as they are currently sitting 4 points clear at the top of the Italian league. Of course Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri would love to claim both the Series A and the Champions League titles but it is a lot to ask of his players. The question is which is more important? Having not won their own domestic league in many years it is more likely to be Serie A and if Milan find themselves in a tricky position in the Champions League they may throw it to focus on Italy.Arsenal @ 25
The Gunners have struggled to achieve anything in recent times. Manager Arsene Wenger has not won anything for his club now since claiming the Premier League title undefeated 6 years ago. In 2006 they made it to the Champions League final facing Barcelona and lead the game by a goal to nil right up until the 76th minute. Barcelona had one of their best sides in history that year and eventually beat Arsenal 2-1. Arsenal are set to face Barcelona again in their next fixture and with a depleted squad do they stand any sort of a chance? Arsenal are still Premier League title contenders and so still have interest elsewhere.Barcelona @ 3.1
FC Barcelona are a massive threat in this tournament and are quite rightly favourites to lift the title. The Spanish league elites are looking far superior to the rest of Europe and the their league is looking far less competitive than other footballing nations. Spain are going through a period of real history at the moment with their national side posing as both Champions of Europe and the World. Half of this super Spanish side is made up of players from Barcelona. The rest of the Barce side is made up of other world greats including Lionel Messi who has won the FIFA World Player of the year title for the past 2 years running. Barcelona have of course got strong case for Champions League glory but priced at 3s with 4 ties to play they are far too short.Bayern Munich @ 22
Last year Bayern Munich made the Champions League final narrowly losing out to Inter Milan. Bayern currently sit 5th in the Bundes Liga and are a massive 14 points off the top spot. Their domestic title hopes for the 2010/2011 season are all but over. With the German title out of reach and the Champions League success of last year expect Bayern Munich to put in every effort to go 1 step further this season. Unfortunately for them the league of Germany is not considered to be as strong as it used to be and they are likely to fall at the hands of higher opposition. The Champions League is one of the toughest competitions in football and Bayern Munich making the final in successive seasons is highly unlikely.Chelsea @ 7
Chelsea are priced in at 7s which makes them 3rd favourites to win the competition behind Barcelona & Real Madrid. This is rather bizarre as Chelsea are currently experiencing the worst form they have had in perhaps a decade. The only thinking I can see behind this price is the fact that Chelsea are no longer domestic league title contenders this season and so manager Carlo Acelotti's focus can be solely on this competition. Also having never won the Champions League title before it is a trophy that is missing from Roman Abramovich's trophy cabinet and one he has long sort after. If Chelsea can regain some form then they are certainly a threat but they are currently a long way off the team that won the Premiership last season.FC Copenhagen @ 280
FC Copenhagen are one of the real minnows left in this competition. They have done fantastically well to get to this stage but do not expect them to progress much further. In the round of 16 they face Chelsea and despite the troubles at Stamford Bridge the tie should be a breeze the Londoners. With perhaps a £300 million squad difference and a much weaker domestic league expect FC Copenhagen to exit this competition in February.Inter Milan@ 25
The current Champions League champions are looking to defend their title but things are very different at the San Siro to this time last year. A change of manager has lead to a complete change of form. Inter have been domestically dominant in recent years but currently sit in 5th place in Series A. Since the departure of the "Special One" Jose Maurinho they have been far from their best. Defending a Champions League title is a tall order for any side let alone a team currently under par. Inter in their current form are extremely unlikely to defend their title and their price of 25/1 reflects this.Lyon @ 190
Another 1 of the smaller clubs but more than capable of a few upsets. Last season Lyon were the conquerors of Spanish giants Real Madrid knocking them out in the round of 16. Lyon are 4th in their domestic league but only 4 point separate the top 11 teams. Yet again in the first knockout stage of this season they face Real Madrid with the first fixture at home. Madrid are a different side this year and have been playing some fantastic football. Taking out Real Madrid 2 seasons running would be a tremendous feet. Expect this to be Lyon's last tie in this year's competition.Manchester United @ 10
Manchester United are certainly competitors for this year's Champions League title. They are at present top of the Premier League with games in hand on the rest of the field and the truth is they are still far from their best. So far they are unbeaten this season and always seem to find a way to grind out t the result. Traditionally following the Christmas break Manchester United step it up a gear and if they can do this then they are certainly in the top 3 contenders of this season. Dimitar Berbatov has found solid form and things have finally settled down on the Wayne Rooney front. Also many of Manchester United's youngsters have really shone this season such as Raphael and Mecheda and Sir Alex Ferguson currently has a very solid team on his hands.Marseille @ 250
Marseille are unfortunately another side who are there to make up the numbers. Like with FC Copenhagen they have done fantastically well to come this far in the competition but they will not be going much further. For the smaller clubs in Europe reaching the knockout rounds is a massive achievement in itself and they will benefit greatly from the financial rewards this brings. Marseille are priced at 250/1 but unfortunately there is little value in this.Real Madrid @ 5.4
Real Madrid have had a tough time in the Champions League in recent years struggling to get past the first knockout round. Last year they were put out of the competition by Lyon and a single goal separated the 2 sides. Their current manager however Jose Maurinho won the competition with Inter Milan and if he can go all the way this season he will have won the Champions League title 3 times! Real Madrid have been playing well of late but sit second in the Spanish League to Barcelona. The Spanish giants have won this title more times than any other side but have fallen well short in the last decade. Can the Special One take them all the way and end Real Madrid's European drought. At 5.4 they are certainly worth a go.Roma @ 60
Roma fall into the "best of the rest" category. They are contenders but pose considerably less of a threat than the sides of England and Spain. The Roman side does feature some big names but in recent years have achieved very little. I would not advise investing heavily on Roma to go all the way but at odds of 60 they are certainly worth a trade. Facing Shakhta Donetsk in the next round expect Roma to progress comfortably to the quarter finals.Schalke @ 120
Schalke are a middle ground side who are more than capable of causing a stir in the knockout rounds by upsetting some of the giants. Schalke are currently 11th in the Bundes Liga. This is a concern because they will really need to improve domestically if they want to play Champions League football next season. And financially they need to do this. The question is what strategy will Schalke adopt if they have a tough domestic fixture against one of the top Bundes Liga sides and a Champions League clash in the same week? Which will be more important to them?Shakhtar Donetsk @ 100
Shakhtar Donetsk won the UEFA Cup back in 2008 beating Rangers in Manchester but the Champions League is a different ball game. The Ukrainian domestic league just doesn't compare to the top countries in Europe and in the Champions League Shakhtar will be completely overwhelmed. They are priced at 100/1 and there is no value in this price.Tottenham @ 29
What a story Harry Redknapp's Spurs are writing this Champions League competition. It has been a while since any English club outside of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool have featured in the Champions League. Everton were the last side to do it but were knocked out in qualifying. Tottenham Hot spurs have hit the ground running and have cruised the group stage. Not only did they qualify but they topped the group beating the current Champions League champions Inter to the top spot. Can Spurs really go all the way and become champions of Europe?Valencia @ 80
Like Roma, a Champions League title is not impossible for Valencia but they are certainly outsiders. In their next clash they face Schalke which is a tough test but one they can win. Priced at 80 there is a nice trading opportunity. If Valencia can overcome Schalke and reach the last 8 expect this price to be halved.Suggested BetsI suggest backing multiple teams in the market to cover more than one position. Back AC Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United whilst taking Barcelona to zero. Barcelona are too short at 3s but you cannot rule them out. With this setup decent profits will be won if AC Milan or any of the English sides lift the title and you will break if Barcelona are victorious. It may also be worth a small bet on Valencia at odds of 80 with a view to a trade should they make the Semi final.
Despite their recent lack of Serie A titles AC Milan are always contenders when it comes to Europe. The Champions League has always been their playground and they always seem to find a way through those tough matches. AC Milan's fate in this year's competition is difficult to predict as they are currently sitting 4 points clear at the top of the Italian league. Of course Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri would love to claim both the Series A and the Champions League titles but it is a lot to ask of his players. The question is which is more important? Having not won their own domestic league in many years it is more likely to be Serie A and if Milan find themselves in a tricky position in the Champions League they may throw it to focus on Italy.Arsenal @ 25
The Gunners have struggled to achieve anything in recent times. Manager Arsene Wenger has not won anything for his club now since claiming the Premier League title undefeated 6 years ago. In 2006 they made it to the Champions League final facing Barcelona and lead the game by a goal to nil right up until the 76th minute. Barcelona had one of their best sides in history that year and eventually beat Arsenal 2-1. Arsenal are set to face Barcelona again in their next fixture and with a depleted squad do they stand any sort of a chance? Arsenal are still Premier League title contenders and so still have interest elsewhere.Barcelona @ 3.1
FC Barcelona are a massive threat in this tournament and are quite rightly favourites to lift the title. The Spanish league elites are looking far superior to the rest of Europe and the their league is looking far less competitive than other footballing nations. Spain are going through a period of real history at the moment with their national side posing as both Champions of Europe and the World. Half of this super Spanish side is made up of players from Barcelona. The rest of the Barce side is made up of other world greats including Lionel Messi who has won the FIFA World Player of the year title for the past 2 years running. Barcelona have of course got strong case for Champions League glory but priced at 3s with 4 ties to play they are far too short.Bayern Munich @ 22
Last year Bayern Munich made the Champions League final narrowly losing out to Inter Milan. Bayern currently sit 5th in the Bundes Liga and are a massive 14 points off the top spot. Their domestic title hopes for the 2010/2011 season are all but over. With the German title out of reach and the Champions League success of last year expect Bayern Munich to put in every effort to go 1 step further this season. Unfortunately for them the league of Germany is not considered to be as strong as it used to be and they are likely to fall at the hands of higher opposition. The Champions League is one of the toughest competitions in football and Bayern Munich making the final in successive seasons is highly unlikely.Chelsea @ 7
Chelsea are priced in at 7s which makes them 3rd favourites to win the competition behind Barcelona & Real Madrid. This is rather bizarre as Chelsea are currently experiencing the worst form they have had in perhaps a decade. The only thinking I can see behind this price is the fact that Chelsea are no longer domestic league title contenders this season and so manager Carlo Acelotti's focus can be solely on this competition. Also having never won the Champions League title before it is a trophy that is missing from Roman Abramovich's trophy cabinet and one he has long sort after. If Chelsea can regain some form then they are certainly a threat but they are currently a long way off the team that won the Premiership last season.FC Copenhagen @ 280
FC Copenhagen are one of the real minnows left in this competition. They have done fantastically well to get to this stage but do not expect them to progress much further. In the round of 16 they face Chelsea and despite the troubles at Stamford Bridge the tie should be a breeze the Londoners. With perhaps a £300 million squad difference and a much weaker domestic league expect FC Copenhagen to exit this competition in February.Inter Milan@ 25
The current Champions League champions are looking to defend their title but things are very different at the San Siro to this time last year. A change of manager has lead to a complete change of form. Inter have been domestically dominant in recent years but currently sit in 5th place in Series A. Since the departure of the "Special One" Jose Maurinho they have been far from their best. Defending a Champions League title is a tall order for any side let alone a team currently under par. Inter in their current form are extremely unlikely to defend their title and their price of 25/1 reflects this.Lyon @ 190
Another 1 of the smaller clubs but more than capable of a few upsets. Last season Lyon were the conquerors of Spanish giants Real Madrid knocking them out in the round of 16. Lyon are 4th in their domestic league but only 4 point separate the top 11 teams. Yet again in the first knockout stage of this season they face Real Madrid with the first fixture at home. Madrid are a different side this year and have been playing some fantastic football. Taking out Real Madrid 2 seasons running would be a tremendous feet. Expect this to be Lyon's last tie in this year's competition.Manchester United @ 10
Manchester United are certainly competitors for this year's Champions League title. They are at present top of the Premier League with games in hand on the rest of the field and the truth is they are still far from their best. So far they are unbeaten this season and always seem to find a way to grind out t the result. Traditionally following the Christmas break Manchester United step it up a gear and if they can do this then they are certainly in the top 3 contenders of this season. Dimitar Berbatov has found solid form and things have finally settled down on the Wayne Rooney front. Also many of Manchester United's youngsters have really shone this season such as Raphael and Mecheda and Sir Alex Ferguson currently has a very solid team on his hands.Marseille @ 250
Marseille are unfortunately another side who are there to make up the numbers. Like with FC Copenhagen they have done fantastically well to come this far in the competition but they will not be going much further. For the smaller clubs in Europe reaching the knockout rounds is a massive achievement in itself and they will benefit greatly from the financial rewards this brings. Marseille are priced at 250/1 but unfortunately there is little value in this.Real Madrid @ 5.4
Real Madrid have had a tough time in the Champions League in recent years struggling to get past the first knockout round. Last year they were put out of the competition by Lyon and a single goal separated the 2 sides. Their current manager however Jose Maurinho won the competition with Inter Milan and if he can go all the way this season he will have won the Champions League title 3 times! Real Madrid have been playing well of late but sit second in the Spanish League to Barcelona. The Spanish giants have won this title more times than any other side but have fallen well short in the last decade. Can the Special One take them all the way and end Real Madrid's European drought. At 5.4 they are certainly worth a go.Roma @ 60
Roma fall into the "best of the rest" category. They are contenders but pose considerably less of a threat than the sides of England and Spain. The Roman side does feature some big names but in recent years have achieved very little. I would not advise investing heavily on Roma to go all the way but at odds of 60 they are certainly worth a trade. Facing Shakhta Donetsk in the next round expect Roma to progress comfortably to the quarter finals.Schalke @ 120
Schalke are a middle ground side who are more than capable of causing a stir in the knockout rounds by upsetting some of the giants. Schalke are currently 11th in the Bundes Liga. This is a concern because they will really need to improve domestically if they want to play Champions League football next season. And financially they need to do this. The question is what strategy will Schalke adopt if they have a tough domestic fixture against one of the top Bundes Liga sides and a Champions League clash in the same week? Which will be more important to them?Shakhtar Donetsk @ 100
Shakhtar Donetsk won the UEFA Cup back in 2008 beating Rangers in Manchester but the Champions League is a different ball game. The Ukrainian domestic league just doesn't compare to the top countries in Europe and in the Champions League Shakhtar will be completely overwhelmed. They are priced at 100/1 and there is no value in this price.Tottenham @ 29
What a story Harry Redknapp's Spurs are writing this Champions League competition. It has been a while since any English club outside of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool have featured in the Champions League. Everton were the last side to do it but were knocked out in qualifying. Tottenham Hot spurs have hit the ground running and have cruised the group stage. Not only did they qualify but they topped the group beating the current Champions League champions Inter to the top spot. Can Spurs really go all the way and become champions of Europe?Valencia @ 80
Like Roma, a Champions League title is not impossible for Valencia but they are certainly outsiders. In their next clash they face Schalke which is a tough test but one they can win. Priced at 80 there is a nice trading opportunity. If Valencia can overcome Schalke and reach the last 8 expect this price to be halved.Suggested BetsI suggest backing multiple teams in the market to cover more than one position. Back AC Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United whilst taking Barcelona to zero. Barcelona are too short at 3s but you cannot rule them out. With this setup decent profits will be won if AC Milan or any of the English sides lift the title and you will break if Barcelona are victorious. It may also be worth a small bet on Valencia at odds of 80 with a view to a trade should they make the Semi final.
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