French giants struggle for impact in UCL
Man City, Barca, Liverpool and Real Madrid all more favored
Three successive last 16 exits for PSG
Only one French club has won the Champions League. And it is not Paris Saint-Germain.
For all their Qatari-funded wealth, Ligue1’s leading club have an unimpressive record in Europe’s leading competition, particularly recently.
So the analysts remained unimpressed when they retained the services of superstar Neymar this week and also landed Argentine international striker Mauro Icardi on loan from Internazionale.
UCL 2019-20 Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | +350 |
| Barcelona | +500 |
| Liverpool | +650 |
| Real Madrid | +800 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | +900 |
| Juventus | +1000 |
| Bayern Munich | +1200 |
| Atletico Madrid | +2000 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | +2500 |
| Borussia Dortmund | +3300 |
*Odds taken at 2019/09/04
Their Champions League odds remained unmoved at +900 – behind favorites Manchester City, Barcelona, Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Juventus Spending Spree
As outsiders among the elite clubs, Juventus – twice recent finalists – look better value at +1000 after a busy transfer spree and the appointment of a new coach, Maurizio Sarri.
One of Juve’s major summer moves was to land the impressive French midfielder Adrien Rabiot from PSG.
They have also signed Dutch international defender Mattijs de Ligt, full-back Danilo and Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey – as well as still having Cristiano Ronaldo.
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However, the leading two teams in the market both look stronger than ever and have particular motivation in the competition this season.
They have won six straight league titles but the French domestic set-up is much weaker than those in the powerhouse nations of England, Spain, Germany and Italy.
PSG were eliminated by Manchester United in last season’s round of 16 despite winning 2-0 in the first leg at Old Trafford.
Their easy dominance at home seems to catch them out when they step up to take on the might of the leading nations in European competition.
PSG was eliminated by Manchester United in last season’s round of 16 despite winning 2-0 in the first leg at Old Trafford.
In dramatic circumstances, they lost 3-1 at home to exit on away goals thanks to an added-time penalty strike from United’s Marcus Rashford.
It was an outcome which encapsulated PSG’s inability to make an impact in the competition.
Two Defensive Signings
This summer they signed center-back Abdou Diallo from Borussia Dortmund for $45 million and defensive midfielder Idrissa Gueye from Everton for $43 million.
Neymar appeared set for a switch to either his former club Barcelona or Real Madrid but there was no deal before Monday’s deadline day.