Football News: Man City Favorites for Champions League, but Expert Doubts Their Chances
Manchester City are the bookies’ favorites to win the 2024/25 Champions League, a position they’ve held for some time now due to the wealth of talent in their squad. Pep Guardiola’s side has been the most consistent and best team in the world for several years, but our expert isn’t convinced they’ll have what it takes to secure their second Champions League title this campaign.
Champions League Winner Odds 2024/25
Odds courtesy of Sky Bet. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Challenging Schedule in Early 2025
Man City face a daunting run of fixtures in the Premier League from late January to late February 2025, including matches against Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle, Liverpool, and Spurs, with two of these away from home. This challenging schedule coincides with the start of the Champions League knockouts, and with Guardiola seemingly prioritizing the league over the European competition, the expert believes City may rest their starters in the Champions League, potentially leading to an early exit.
FA Cup Congestion Concerns
Additionally, City are likely to progress far in the FA Cup, with the fourth and fifth rounds scheduled during their already-packed Premier League fixture list. This could result in rescheduled league games, leading to further congestion later in the season – a factor that contributed to their downfall when they played Spurs in the final games of the 2023/24 campaign.
Injury Risks with a Thin Squad
Despite the perception of a deep, well-stocked squad, the expert notes that City have regularly relied on the same 15-16 players in recent years. The fixture pile-up towards the end of the season could lead to a number of injuries throughout the squad, which could prove to be the deciding factor in their quest for success on multiple fronts, especially in the Champions League.
Overall, while Manchester City are the favorites to win the 2024/25 Champions League, our expert believes their challenging schedule, FA Cup commitments, and potential injury concerns could ultimately derail their European ambitions, despite their undeniable quality.
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