Manchester United priced at 40-1 to conquer Europe - and break Liverpool hearts

Jochan Embley25 February 2014

Bookmakers are offering odds of 40/1 for Manchester United to sink Liverpool’s Champions League hopes in the most dramatic way possible.

Languishing 11 points off fourth in the Premier League, the chances of David Moyes’s side qualifying for Europe’s premier competition as a result of their final League position are looking increasingly slim.

However, if they win the Champions League whilst finishing outside the top four domestically, they will qualify for next season’s tournament at the expense of whoever finishes fourth – most probably, their arch rivals Liverpool.

For such a scenario, bookmakers William Hill are offering odds of 40/1, and said: “Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United having usurped Liverpool as the most successful team in English football history.

“Now he has left, Liverpool will feel like they have the upper hand although it would be a very ‘United’ thing to do, letting Liverpool scoop the final Champions League spot before snatching it away from them again – but fear not Liverpool fans, the odds suggest this is a distant possibility.”

A distant possibility in the bookmakers’ minds perhaps, but far more likely for Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash between the Red Devils and Olympiakos, Rooney seemed confident of his side’s chances in the competition.

“I think we certainly have the quality in the team to go really far,” the England international said. “The main aim is to get the right result against Olympiakos and then take each game as it comes.”

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At the end of the 2011-12 season, Chelsea finished sixth in the Premier League with Tottenham four points ahead of them in fourth. However, the Blues famously went on to win the Champions League, qualifying for next season and consigning Spurs to yet another Europa League campaign. And Chelsea’s achievements that year are certainly familiar with Rooney.

“The year Chelsea won it, they nearly went out of the competition about three times, so you just have to keep going, whether or not we get the right result here [at Olympiakos].”