A Champions League quarter final draw void of any Premier League participants tossed out some intriguing ties.
The headline of the four face offs is the repeat of last season’s inter-Madrid final between Atletico and Real, with the first-leg taking place at the Vicente Calderon.
Tournament favourites FC Bayern Munchen take on FC Porto, Barcelona travel to Paris Saint-Germain for the first-leg of their last eight dust up and Juventus meet Monaco to complete the quartet.
Having taken the ties into consideration, the bwin odds moguls have made some slight adjustments to their Champions League winner market, though Bayern are unmoved from the short-price position at 2/1.
Barcelona formerly shared the silver-medal spot with Real, but the Catalans are now stand alone second favourites at 13/5, with Los Blancos pushed out to 4/1.
The reason behind Carlo Ancelotti’s men drifting slightly is their pairing with neighbours Atleti, who they’ve failed to topple in seven of the previous eight Spanish capital city derbies.
Last season’s 4-1 final win is the anomaly in this octet, but even then Real required extra-time in order to see off Los Colchoneros having been behind until an injury-time Sergio Ramos equaliser.
The shortening of Barcelona’s odds certainly detracts some of the value from their price, with a two-legged tear up against PSG looming.
Les Parisiens showcased what a formidable force they can be in overcoming Chelsea in the last-16, having secured an away-goals win at Stamford Bridge playing with ten men for an hour, plus all of extra-time.
Los Blaugrana dumped them out of the competition last term, but required away goals to do so.
Laurent Blanc’s men – 18/1 to claim the gong – beat Barca 3-2 in the group stage earlier this season and are capable of knocking them out.
Borussia Dortmund’s conquerors Juventus are the final single-figure flutter at 7/1 and the quarter final draw renders them the best value punt.
They have shortened significantly after being handed Monaco, but Arsenal’s comprehensive smiting of the principality club in the second leg of their last-16 meeting underlined how little trouble Juve should have dismissing them.
It should be a straightforward operation providing, unlike the Gunners, they’re professional in the home leg.
With 15 wins and four draws from 20 at base camp this term, the consistent Old Lady will surely swerve the pitfall that cost Arsene Wenger’s troops so back them now before another sizeable shrinking ahead of the semi-final.
