Many pundits are suggesting that troubled Chelsea could well be set to suffer a similar fate in Italy this week as Arsenal did last week against AC Milan. The Blues take on Napoli in their Champions League Round of 16 first leg on Tuesday and the Italians are already responsible for dumping Manchester City out of the Group Phase this season and a defeat for the Blues could spell the end to manager’s Andre Villas-Boas reign at Stamford Bridge. The Bookmakers have made Napoli 11/8 to win this first leg, with Chelsea and the draw both priced at 9/4. However, they make Chelsea 4/7 odds on to qualify over the two legs with Napoli a 5/4 chance to add to Chelsea’s woes.
Also on Tuesday, CSKA Moscow entertain Real Madrid in the first leg of their last 16 tie. The Russians will know that to get a result out of the game, they are going to have to play to their absolute best. Real are currently romping away at the top of La Liga and have every reason to believe that they can win the Champions League for the first time since 2002 this year. Despite being the home team, CSKA are only rated at 15/2 to win the game, while Real are 4/9 and 1/12 to qualify for the last eight!
Wednesday’s matches bring together FC Basel from Switzerland, who qualified from the group phase by beating Manchester United 2-1, and Bayern Munich, who qualified as winners of Group A. Bayern have been made 8/13 odds-on favourite to win the first leg but the visitors will be all too aware of the threat that the home team pose if they are to progress.
The fourth game this week is between Marseille and Inter Milan and should be a close affair with little to choose between the two teams. Marseille are favourites being the home team to take an advantage to the second leg but Inter are seasoned Champions League campaigners and are 4/7 odds on to make it to the last eight of the competition.
After last week’s games, Barcelona and AC Milan both look certain to qualify for the last eight after their opening legs wins but the other two games between Lyon v APOEL and Zenit St Petersburg v Benfica are still in the balance.
Subsequently, the latest Champions League betting makes Barcelona the favourites to win back-to-back Champions League titles at a best price of 7/5 with Real Madrid rated the next best chance at 11/4. There is then a gap between the Spanish duo and the other teams with Bayern Munich the 13/2 third favourites ahead of  AC Milan and Chelsea who are both 12/1 shots with Inter Milan a 33/1 chance the other teams all 40/1 or bigger!