Chelsea news: Frank Lampard has made a return to Chelsea and has been tipped to win the Champions League
Chelsea have been handed new odds of winning the Champions League after Frank Lampard’s return (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Chelsea have a habit of switching managers over the past few years, but with it has often come success in the form of winning trophies. Two key examples came in the Champions League as interim manager Roberto Di Matteo guided the Blues to victory in Munich on penalties to win the competition for the first time.
Fast forward nearly ten years and similar happened as Frank Lampard was replaced by Thomas Tuchel mid-season, with the switch in system enabling the side to perform well in the cup competitions. A 1-0 win over Manchester City in Porto later that year meant that a second Champions League trophy was coming back to London.
A third in this year’s edition seemed unlikely, with poor form under Graham Potter and a tough draw in Real Madrid in the quarter-finals before facing one of Bayern Munich or Man City in the final four. However, with a change of manager once again at Stamford Bridge, a return for Lampard as caretaker was completed.
John Terry has sent a message to Frank Lampard on his Chelsea return (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
“It’s certainly a chance with the two games we have coming up,” Lampard said in his return press conference, having the chance to take charge of the knockout rounds of the competition, something he missed out on last time. “I’m not naïve, Real Madrid is a huge football club, the current Champions League winners, fantastic team. I’m not going to sit here and make all these crazy…talk about that and what might be in that difficult semi-final and then the final.
“That’s far away and my job is to go step by step. Of course, having played a part and coached in the Champions League here for two years. The first where we got through the group and lost to Bayern Munich, the second year we got through the group well and of course I left and the club went onto a fantastic achievement. Those things are in the past for me but I’m excited fighting in that competition again, it’s the best.”
With plenty of talk surrounding the change potentially handing the Blues a chance of winning the competition for the third time, their chances have been revealed. Betfair have given odds on each team reaching the final and lifting the trophy, ranking the west London outfit in sixth out of the eight teams.
Chelsea are given a 12/1 outside shot of winning the competition, level with Benfica for their odds, with Manchester City, Napoli, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid all ranking amongst the favourites.
Betfair: Champions League winner odds
Man City: 9/4
Napoli: 7/2
Bayern Munich: 7/2
Real Madrid: 13/2
Benfica: 12/1
Chelsea: 12/1
Inter Milan: 14/1
AC Milan: 17/1
Source: football.london
