Champions league odds 2014/15: an intelligent punter's guide

Real Madrid start favourites, but Chelsea can't be discounted as the group stage gets underway

Jose Mourinho
(Image credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

The group stage of the UEFA Champions League begins this week. There are eight groups each consisting of four teams and the top two in each group will go through to the last 16.

Which teams are the best bets in this year's competition? Here are the key factors to bear in mi

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is a writer, broadcaster and blogger who writes The Week’s Intelligent Punter’s Guides. He is co-founder of the Campaign For Public Ownership. He tweets on sport @MightyMagyar and on politics and other subjects @NeilClark66