A few provocative parlays for the Champions League, due to start this week.
Porto to win Group D - 7/1
Chelsea and Atletico Madrid are the favourites to qualify and Porto have shifted prized assets Lucho Gonzalez and Lisandro Lopez over the summer, however, here's a few secondary teams that have won groups over the past two years; Panathanaikos, Roma, Sevilla and Porto...twice. Only once on their previous 8 visits to the Champions League group stage have they failed to make the knockout stages and their home record, thwarted memorably by former Sporting player Ronaldo last year, is amongst the continents best.
Lyon to win Group E - 5/2
They demolished Anderlecht in the qualifying phase and have revamped the squad after only finishing 3rd domestically last year. Michel Bastos, Lisandro Lopez, Aly Cissokho and Bafetembi Gomis have all been big money acquisitions over the summer and with Liverpool stumbling early, Fiorentina have not been beyond the group stage in recent years and Debrecen are true outsiders.
Juventus to win the competition - 25/1
The Old Lady is back, venomous glare and all, and in the likes Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Giorgio Chiellini, Felip Melo, Claudio Marchisio, Diego and Amauri have the spine to challenge the top teams. The team is full of experience, good depth and abundant matchwinners. They are outsiders behind the English 4, Barca, Real and Inter but it is rarely Europe's best team that wins the trophy.
Robin Van Persie to finish as top scorer - 33/1
Arsenal have a seemingly straightforward group draw featuring a couple of teams that struggle on their travels and a squad that appear to be coming of age. The question mark around the Dutchman has never been talent, more how regularly he can play but, if fit, he could lead the scoring charts (Ronaldo is 7/1 and probably good value at that, Diego Milito is also 33/1...interesting that).
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