Brave Blues 15-8 for Champions League glory
CHELSEA are 15-8 to win the Champions League after they overcame a mammoth test to beat Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate and reach the final on Tuesday night.
Bookmakers were celebrating what several firms called "a dream result" after the ten-man Blues drew 2-2 at Camp Nou thanks to a sensational goal from Ramires and a late solo effort from Fernando Torres – so late that £34 was matched on the draw at 1,000 in-play on Betfair – but the platform for their victory was a fine rearguard performance following the 37th-minute sending-off of captain John Terry.
Sergio Busquets, 33-1 to score first, set the Catalans on their way and they looked set to run away with it when they went 2-0 up, but after Ramires pulled one back before the break the Blues were rejuvenated.
They rode their luck when a Lionel Messi penalty hit the bar but now face the winner of Wednesday's tie between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the final. Real are the new 11-8 favourites to lift the trophy with bet365 and Boyles, while Bayern are 11-4.
Barcelona are 9-4 with Ladbrokes to win the tournament next year, while the firm offer evens that Roberto Di Matteo is made permanent Blues boss.
Hills are betting on when an English team wins the Champions League and offer 7-4than no Premier League outfit manages to triumph before 2017. It is 11-2 that there is an English winner next year and 7-1 that one lifts the cup in 2014.
Bolton beat Aston Villa 2-1 in the night's Premier League fixture and they are out to 6-4 with Blue Square and BetVictor to be relegated. Villa are best at 6-1 to go down, with QPR 7-5 (Ladbrokes) and Wigan generally available at 3-1.
