Will Liverpool win the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League?

Last season they had a club-record 97 points but still came second to Manchester City, who claimed their second successive title.

As of January 7, Liverpool leads the Premier League standings with 58 points in 20 games. They have 19 wins and just one draw while Leicester City is in second place with 45 points in 21 games. Manchester City is third with 44 points in 21 games and is hard to see anyone stopping Liverpool.

That advantage made some experts suggest that the Premier League title race is all but over already.

Team legend Phil Thompson explained what could stop Liverpool from winning the Premier League this season.

Asked by Sporting Life, the seven-time title-winner with Liverpool said:

“It is that little bit of luck, at times, the little bit of VAR going in your favour, that could equally go against you.

Red cards will be massive too - you only need a red card and then your backs are against the wall, especially against the big boys.

But the biggest one of all injures. It has decimated City’s defence, and if they had everybody fit, they could have been a lot closer to Liverpool.”

Thompson then added that Liverpool has what it takes to deal with the pressure of being the favorites to win it all:

“I think this team has not only lived with the pressure but the expectancy of what 30 years without winning a title brings.

I think nearly every Liverpool fan does not believe they will win the Premier League.

They all know there is such a long way to go, so there is still an awful lot to be done. It is everybody else who is saying it is Liverpool’s league.

On the flip side they are hoping that they will choke, fail and collapse, as it will be good to mock Liverpool.”

Even Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola admitted that he hasn’t been able to work out why exactly his team is so far behind Liverpool in the standings.

“It’s a difficult answer,” Guardiola said on December 5. “I don’t know. I would like to discover the reason for this big gap with Liverpool. One is, no doubt, the quality of the opponent. I repeat, one lost league game in almost 60 – their numbers are incredible.”

As far as their chances to repeat as UEFA Champions League winners, the SBR Odds shows that the featured online sportsbooks have Liverpool as big favorites to win the first leg of their Round of 16 series against Atletico Madrid. The game will take place on February 18 at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.

Liverpool’s level in the 2019-20 edition of the UEFA Champions League has also been impressive so far. The Reds won Group E with 13 points in six games. They had four wins, one draw, and one loss, scoring 13 goals and conceding five. It was a tough group that also included Napoli, Red Bull Salzburg, and Genk.

Napoli actually finished second in the group, just one point behind Liverpool and they even beat them 2-0 on September 17 in Italy. It was Liverpool’s only loss in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League this season, which is clearly very impressive. Napoli has been a thorn on their side, as they also played them tough in their 1-1 draw at Anfield on November 27.

Odds to Win the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League

Courtesy of BetOnline

Manchester City +350

Liverpool +450

FC Barcelona +550

Bayern Munich +700

Paris Saint-Germain +700

Juventus +900

Real Madrid +2000

Tottenham +2200

Atletico Madrid +2800

Chelsea +3300

Borussia Dortmund +5000

RB Leipzig +5000

Napoli +6600

Valencia +6600

Atalanta +8000

Lyon +15000

While Manchester City is listed as the only team with better odds to win the UEFA Champions League than Liverpool, I actually see other teams as bigger threats to prevent them to repeat as winners of this tournament.

 

January 6, 2020

Those teams are FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus, in no particular order. FC Barcelona has not been unstoppable like in previous years and their head coach Ernesto Valverde is not the right man for the job but they still have Lionel Messi and he can alter the outcome of any game, at any time.

Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have loaded rosters. Both teams have many players who are used to big game atmospheres and they have capable head coaches and difference-makers at key positions. With Juventus, is the same scenario as with FC Barcelona... they have someone like Cristiano Ronaldo with a lot to prove and most importantly with the skill to help them overcome any team. It will not be easy but if one team can win their home league and the UEFA Champions League in the same year, it’s Liverpool.