UEFA Champions League Fixtures, Betting Tips & Outright Odds
Here at betting.bet we’re going to preview the tournament, offering our opinions on the market leaders and the potential tournament dark horses
The return of the UEFA Champions League is just around the corner and while there are major changes to the competition’s format this year, the same teams remain at the head of the outright betting market. Here at betting.bet we’re going to preview the tournament, offering our opinions on the market leaders and the potential tournament dark horses whilst providing football betting odds from our betting partners at bet365.
How The New Format Works
The new ‘league phase’ format has seen the number of pre-knockout stage matches increase from 96 to 144 with a total of 36 clubs competing in a single league phase. Each team will play four home games and four away games against eight different opponents, the top eight teams after eight rounds of fixtures will progress to the first knockout stage whilst the sides positioned 9th to 24th will contest a two-legged play-off to determine the other eight knockout stage participants.
The Outright Favourites
2022/23 treble winners Manchester City failed to defend their title last season after going down to a quarter-final defeat to eventual winners Real Madrid on penalties. However, Pep Guardiola’s side head into this season’s tournament as outright favourites with the bookies and it’s not hard to see why. Erling Haaland has started the new domestic season in red-hot form, scoring nine goals in Manchester City’s first four league games. Manchester City are in ominous form, boasting a 100% record after four league games despite giving the likes of Rodri, Phil Foden and John Stones an extended post-Euro 2024 break.
On paper, Manchester City arguably have the best starting XI in Europe and in Pep Guardiola they probably have the best coach in world football. Undoubtedly the ones to beat. The only concern Manchester City fans and backers may have is a possible lack of strength in depth in the final third. Erling Haaland is fit and firing after a summer off but beyond the Norwegian you have to question where the goals will come from, especially since Julian Alvarez’s switch to Atletico Madrid.
Major Players
Holders and fifteen-time champions Real Madrid have to be respected having added Kylian Mbappe to their ranks during the summer. Mbappe joins the next generation of Galacticos at the Santiago Bernabeu as he joins the likes of Ballon d’Or winner-in-waiting Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Federico Valverde in a frighteningly strong forward line. The main challenge for Carlo Ancelotti will be keeping all of his attacking stars happy with murmurings of discontent already coming out of the Rodrygo camp.
Whilst Real Madrid have unprecedented Champions League-winning knowhow, the same cannot be said for Arsenal. However, Mikel Arteta has undoubtedly returned the Gunners to Europe’s top table over the past few seasons. Back-to-back second place finishes in the Premier League and a first Champions League quarter-final since 2010 last season is a solid platform on which to build this season. William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are arguably the best central defensive pairing in Europe yet the lack of a real out-and-out centre forward remains the biggest concern for Arsenal.
This season’s UEFA Champions League final will be held at the Allianz Arena in Munich and German giants Bayern Munich will be desperate to lift a seventh European Cup in their own backyard. Vincent Kompany is in charge of Bayern Munich following a trophyless 2023/24 campaign and the former Burnley boss has made a flying start to life in Germany with three wins in three in the Bundesliga. Harry Kane is amongst the favourites for the Champions League Golden Boot whilst summer acquisitions Michael Olise and Joao Palhinha have certainly bolstered the Bayern Munich squad.
Dark Horses
Away from the big four in the outright market, there is plenty of value to be found elsewhere. One club that simply cannot be ignored is Barcelona. The Spanish giants have underperformed over the past couple of seasons but look rejuvenated under Hansi Flick. The five-time European champions have won all five La Liga matches this season having quietly assembled a really exciting looking squad. The relentless churning out of talent at Barcelona’s La Masia academy continues and 2024/25 could prove a real breakthrough season for the likes of Pau Victor, Marc Bernal, Pablo Torre and Pau Cubarsi. Meanwhile 17-year-old Lamine Yamal who is one of the hottest young prospects in world football has followed up a successful Euro 2024 tournament by registering three goals and four assists in Barcelona’s first five La Liga matches.
Yamal, along with Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha currently makes up Europe’s most in-form attacking trio whilst Euro 2024 Golden Boot winner Dani Olmo has chalked up three goals in three La Liga games since making his own return to the club. Hansi Flick guided Bayern Munich to Champions League glory in 2019/20 and may well come back to haunt his former employers in this season's competition.
Inter Milan were runaway Serie A winners last season but surrendered a 2-0 aggregate lead when losing to Atletico Madrid on penalties in the quarter-final of last season’s Champions League. The champions of Italy are expected to go deep into the Champions League again this season and remain unbeaten through their first four Serie A matches. France international Marcus Thuram has made a superb start to the new season with four goals in four Serie A matches so far whilst Lautaro Martinez will undoubtedly return to form sooner rather than later. The summer signing of Italy international Davide Frattesi looks a smart bit of business.
We can’t talk about Champions League dark horses without mentioning Bayer Leverkusen. Under Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen enjoyed an incredible 2023/24 campaign that saw them go unbeaten in all 40 domestic matches to complete a Bundesliga / DFB-Pokal double. The Germans also reached the final of the UEFA Europa League but were well-beaten by an Ademola Lookman-inspired Atalanta in Dublin.
Bayer Leverkusen lost to RB Leipzig in their second league game of the new season but will once again compete for all major silverware this season. Retaining in-demand manager Xabi Alonso was a major plus for the reigning German champions whilst they have bolstered their squad with some smart signings, such as Martin Terrier, Aleix Garcia and Jeanuel Belocian.
Champions League Debutants
1981/82 European Cup winners Aston Villa make their UEFA Champions League debut this season after securing a top four finish in the Premier League last season. Unai Emery’s side are one of five clubs set to feature in UEFA’s top-tier tournament along with Bologna, Brest, Girona and Slovan Bratislava.
Bologna benefited from Serie A earning a fifth Champions League spot but have made a slow start the new campaign and currently sit 17th in Italy’s top-flight winless in their first four matches. Similarly, Brest have lost three of their first four games in Ligue 1 this season and are languishing in 14th place, above the relegation zone on goal difference only. In contrast, La Liga’s surprise package from last season, Girona, have made a steady start to the new campaign and are placed 6th with 7 points from their first five matches.
UEFA Champions League Outright Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | 2/1 |
| Real Madrid | 7/2 |
| Arsenal | 8/1 |
| Bayern Munich, Barcelona | 12/1 |
| Liverpool | 14/1 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 20/1 |
| Inter Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund | 25/1 |
| Juventus | 33/1 |
| AC Milan | 40/1 |
| Atalanta | 50/1 |
| Aston Villa | 66/1 |
| RB Leipzig, Sporting Lisbon, Lille, Benfica, Monaco | 100/1 |
| PSV Eindhoven, VfB Stuttgart | 150/1 |
| Feyenoord, FC Salzburg, Bologna, Girona | 200/1 |
| Celtic | 250/1 |
| Shakhtar Donestsk, Club Brugge, Brest | 300/1 |
| Sparta Prague | 400/1 |
| Sturm Graz, Young Boys, Dinamo Zagreb | 500/1 |
| Red Star Belgrade | 750/1 |
| Slovan Bratislava | 1000/1 |
League Phase Fixtures
| Matchday Two |
|---|
| Red Bull Salzburg v Brest |
| VfB Stuttgart v Sparta Prague |
| Arsenal v Paris Saint-Germain |
| Bayer Leverkusen v AC Milan |
| Borussia Dortmund v Celtic |
| Barcelona v Young Boys |
| Inter Milan v Red Star Belgrade |
| PSV Eindhoven v Sporting Lisbon |
| Slovan Bratislava v Manchester City |
| Shakhtar Donetsk v Atalanta |
| Girona v Feyenoord |
| Aston Villa v Bayern Munich |
| Dinamo Zagreb v Monaco |
| Liverpool v Bologna |
| Lille v Real Madrid |
| RB Leipzig v Juventus |
| Sturm Graz v Club Brugge |
| Benfica v Atletico Madrid |
| Matchday Three |
|---|
| AC Milan v Club Brugge |
| Monaco v Red Star Belgrade |
| Arsenal v Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Aston Villa v Bologna |
| Girona v Slovan Bratislava |
| Juventus v VfB Stuttgart |
| Paris Saint-Germain v PSV Eindhoven |
| Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund |
| Sturm Graz v Sporting Lisbon |
| Atalanta v Celtic |
| Brest v Bayer Leverkusen |
| Atletico Madrid v Lille |
| Young Boys v Inter Milan |
| Barcelona v Bayern Munich |
| Red Bull Salzburg v Dinamo Zagreb |
| Manchester City v Sparta Prague |
| RB Leipzig v Liverpool |
| Benfica v Feyenoord |
| Matchday Four |
|---|
| PSV Eindhoven v Girona |
| Slovan Bratislava v Dinamo Zagreb |
| Bologna v Monaco |
| Borussia Dortmund v Sturm Graz |
| Celtic v RB Leipzig |
| Liverpool v Bayer Leverkusen |
| Lille v Juventus |
| Real Madrid v AC Milan |
| Sporting Lisbon v Manchester City |
| Club Brugge v Aston Villa |
| Shakhtar Donetsk v Young Boys |
| Sparta Prague v Brest |
| Bayern Munich v Benfica |
| Inter Milan v Arsenal |
| Feyenoord v Red Bull Salzburg |
| Red Star Belgrade v Barcelona |
| Paris Saint-Germain v Atletico Madrid |
| VfB Stuttgart v Atalanta |
| Matchday Five |
|---|
| Sparta Prague v Atletico Madrid |
| Slovan Bratislava v AC Milan |
| Bayer Leverkusen v Red Bull Salzburg |
| Young Boys v Atalanta |
| Barcelona v Brest |
| Bayern Munich v Paris Saint-Germain |
| Inter Milan v RB Leipzig |
| Manchester City v Feyenoord |
| Sporting Lisbon v Arsenal |
| Red Star Belgrade v VfB Stuttgart |
| Sturm Graz v Girona |
| Monaco v Benfica |
| Aston Villa v Juventus |
| Bologna v Lille |
| Celtic v Club Brugge |
| Dinamo Zagreb v Borussia Dortmund |
| Liverpool v Real Madrid |
| PSV Eindhoven v Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Matchday Six |
|---|
| Girona v Liverpool |
| Dinamo Zagreb v Celtic |
| Atalanta v Real Madrid |
| Bayer Leverkusen v Inter Milan |
| Club Brugge v Sporting Lisbon |
| Red Bull Salzburg v Paris Saint-Germain |
| Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayern Munich |
| RB Leipzig v Aston Villa |
| Brest v PSV Eindhoven |
| Atletico Madrid v Slovan Bratislava |
| Lille v Sturm Graz |
| AC Milan v Red Star Belgrade |
| Arsenal v Monaco |
| Borussia Dortmund v Barcelona |
| Feyenoord v Sparta Prague |
| Juventus v Manchester City |
| Benfica v Bologna |
| VfB Stuttgart v Young Boys |
| Matchday Seven |
|---|
| Monaco v Aston Villa |
| Atalanta v Sturm Graz |
| Atletico Madrid v Bayer Leverkusen |
| Bologna v Borussia Dortmund |
| Club Brugge v Juventus |
| Red Star Belgrade v PSV Eindhoven |
| Liverpool v Lille |
| Slovan Bratislava v VfB Stuttgart |
| Benfica v Barcelona |
| Shakhtar Donetsk v Brest |
| RB Leipzig v Sporting Lisbon |
| AC Milan v Girona |
| Sparta Prague v Inter Milan |
| Arsenal v Dinamo Zagreb |
| Celtic v Young Boys |
| Feyenoord v Bayern Munich |
| Paris Saint-Germain v Manchester City |
| Real Madrid v Red Bull Salzburg |
| Matchday Eight |
|---|
| Aston Villa v Celtic |
| Bayer Leverkusen v Sparta Prague |
| Borussia Dortmund v Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Young Boys v Red Star Belgrade |
| Barcelona v Atalanta |
| Bayern Munich v Slovan Bratislava |
| Inter Milan v Monaco |
| Red Bull Salzburg v Atletico Madrid |
| Girona v Arsenal |
| Dinamo Zagreb v AC Milan |
| Juventus v Benfica |
| Lille v Feyenoord |
| Manchester City v Club Brugge |
| PSV Eindhoven v Liverpool |
| Sturm Graz v RB Leipzig |
| Sporting Lisbon v Bologna |
| Brest v Real Madrid |
| VfB Stuttgart v Paris Saint-Germain |
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