Champions League Predictions & Betting tips

Find our free Champions League prediction, as well as our expert predictions on all the Champions League football matches (2024-2025). Full of information for your sports betting!

Champions League presentation and predictions - Football

The Champions League is one of the most closely followed sporting events throughout the year. This competition brings together the elite of European football every season, and is incredibly popular with punters who love betting on the Champions League.

Organized by UEFA, the tournament features not just the very best clubs in Europe but also some of the clubs that are top dogs in their domestic leagues but struggle to cope with the European elite. This year, a new format is applied to the tournament and we'll explain all of the details on this page.

From the first qualifying rounds through to the final in June 2025, find our Champions League predictions here. We offer you our expert analysis and predictions throughout the season - who will win the groups, who will progress in the knockout stages and the eventual European champions. We'll also offer our views on who will be the top scorer in the Champions League. All great information to read! Make your football predictions safely here!

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Our free prediction for the 2024/25 Champions League Final: who to bet on?

This year will be the very first edition of UEFA's new Champions League format. And while there will be some changes to the way the competition is run, one thing is not likely to change much: the biggest European clubs of recent years are likely to be there to win the trophy.

Real Madrid and Manchester City are the two clear favourites to lift the trophy and are also the competition's last two winners. Defending champions Real Madrid who are in a bid to win an unprecedented 16th Champions League title, have also added Kylian Mbappé to their ranks in the summer.

Just behind them, clubs such as Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Arsenal, PSG and Barcelona all have their eyes on the trophy and will certainly put up a good fight.

With the draw for the league phase recently complete, we now have a better idea of the paths that each team will face. However, it's still early in the season which makes offering a really reliable prediction a bit more complicated.

We suggest closely observing how the top contending teams fare in their respective domestic leagues before placing your Champions League bets. But for those who don't want to wait, we suggest you try the odds on one of the last two winners.

Our Champions League winner prediction: Real Madrid or Manchester City champion 2024-2025!

Champions League final winner: bookmakers' odds to lift the trophy

Below you'll find the odds on the top favourites to win the 2024-25 Champions League:

• Liverpool - 5.00
• Real Madrid - 7.00
• Arsenal - 7.00
• Barcelona - 7.50
• Manchester City - 8.00
• Bayern Munich - 8.00
• Inter Milan - 17.00
• Bayer Leverkusen - 23.00
• Atalanta - 34.00
• PSG - 41.00
• Aston Villa - 41.00
• Atletico Madrid - 41.00
• Juventus - 41.00
• Borussia Dortmund - 51.00
• AC Milan - 51.00

Odds taken from Bet365

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Which prediction for the Champions League top scorer?

Also very popular with punters, the "Champions League top scorer" betting market can offer great opportunities given the often enticing odds offered by bookmakers on the future top scorer. When betting on the top scorer in the Champions League, there are several factors to take into account.

Recent performances, the player's ability to score goals, the fixture list and opponents, the club's ambitions: all these factors can have an influence on a player's chances of finishing as the competition's top scorer.

With the season now underway, there is little in the way of surprises regarding the oddsmakers' top favourites for this accolade. Kylian Mbappé, who has been scoring incessantly in recent years and has just joined Real Madrid, is one of the top contenders, as well as the Norwegian machine in Manchester, Erling Haaland.

Here's the list of players we think are worth keeping an eye on this season and could well be in contention to win this individual award.

• Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)
• Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
• Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
• Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
• Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
• Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
• Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)
• Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
• Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Odds to be top scorer

• Erling Haaland - 4.33
• Robert Lewandowski - 4.33
• Harry Kane - 6.00
• Vinicius Jr. - 9.00
• Raphinha - 13.00
• Serhou Guirassy - 13.00
• Viktor Gyokeres - 17.00
• Kylian Mbappé - 19.00
• Florian Wirtz - 21.00
• Mohamed Salah - 29.00
• Dusan Vlahovic - 34.00
• Jonathan David - 41.00

Odds taken from Bet365

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Our prediction for the Champions League Regular Season

The old format of several pools is gone and is replaced by one giant pool containing all 36 teams. The top 8 teams in the league phase (former group stage) qualify directly to the Round of 16, while 9th to 24th place battle it out in a two-legged play-off. Another big change for this new format is that it is now not possible for teams competing in the Champions League to drop down into the Europa League, raising the stakes even further.

The dates for the league phase matches are as follows: 

• Day 1 - 17, 18 and 19 September 2024
• Day 2 - 1 and 2 October 2024
• Day 3 - 22 and 23 October 2024
• Day 4 - 5 and 6 November 2024
• Day 5 - 26 and 27 November 2024
• Day 6 - 10 and 11 December 2024
• Day 7 - 21 and 22 January 2025
• Day 8 - 29 January 2025

Now let's take a look at each of the groups and make our predictions on the 16 clubs that will make it into the knockout stages. Which clubs will make the cut? Which will be eliminated from European competition? It all promises to be a fascinating league stage.

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Our prediction for the Champions League Round of 16 qualifiers (Top 8)

The new format of the Champions League certainly makes it tougher on punters trying to predict which teams will reach the Round of 16. As a matter of fact, we used to have to find two qualifiers out of the four participants in each group, but we now have to imagine which of the 36 teams taking part in this single pool will be the best of the lot.

Some clubs seem more than capable of finishing in the Round of 16, such as the two favourites in our prediction, Real Madrid and Manchester City. These are the two teams we have few doubts about, given the quality of their respective squads and their experience of the competition in recent years.

Just behind them are two Premier League clubs, Arsenal and Liverpool. Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, PSG and Barcelona are also highly likely to qualify.

Our Champions League prediction on the qualifiers: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, PSG and Barcelona in the Round of 16!

Champions League - odds for a top 8 league phase finish

• Barcelona - 1.04
• Arsenal - 1.05
• Bayern Munich - 1.20
• Inter Milan - 1.20
• Leverkusen - 1.40
• Aston Villa - 1.57
• Borussia Dortmund - 1.57
• AC Milan - 1.83
• Atletico Madrid - 2.50
• Juventus - 3.75

Odds taken from Bet365

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Our prediction for the Champions League play-off qualifiers (9th to 24th place)

Here's a second prediction that's even more difficult than the previous one. After selecting the 8 teams we think will make the top 8 and qualify directly for the last 16, there are 24 teams still in contention to reach the knockout play-offs (Round of 16).

We therefore need to make a prediction about which 16 teams will have the opportunity to continue the competition after the single pool. It's still early days in the league phase, but here's an initial list of the clubs we can see making the play-offs after getting a glimpse of all of the teams in action: Monaco, Aston Villa, Atlético Madrid, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Juventus, Atalanta Bergamo, Benfica, Sporting and PSV Eindhoven.

More information and qualifiers after the qualifying rounds and play-offs, when we will have a better overview of the single pool with the 36 qualifiers.

Champions League - odds for a 9-24 league phase finish

• Real Madrid - 1.01
• Benfica - 1.025
• AS Monaco - 1.025
• Man City - 1.03
• Celtic - 1.062
• Sporting Lisbon - 1.071
• Feyenoord - 1.083
• Atalanta - 1.11
• Club Brugge - 1.14
• Brest - 1.18
• LOSC Lille - 1.18
• Juventus - 1.25
• PSV Eindhoven - 1.30
• PSG - 1.33
• Stuttgart - 1.44
• Atletico Madrid - 1.50

Odds taken from Bet365

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Beginner Guide - how does the Champions League work?

The Champions League is the top European competition. Each season, it sees the best teams in Europe go head-to-head, having earned their tickets thanks to their respective results on the domestic stage.

In England for example, the top four teams in the Premier League all go straight into the leage stage.  

The way the single pool works is simple: there are 36 participants, the top 8 are in the round of 16, the next 16 (9th to 24th place) compete against each other in a two-legged play-off to determine the other eight round of 16 teams. Those behind (25th to 36th place) are eliminated from all European competitions. You can find a detailed presentation of the new format in this video!

Unlike in the past, there is no longer any question of a repechage in the Europa League (see our Europa League prediction), so the bottom 12 will have to wait until the next year before they can taste European football again. For those who qualify, the play-offs will determine the last 8 teams, followed by a knockout phase of home and away matches, with the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals, culminating in the final to crown the European champion.

• Qualifying rounds between July and August
• Play-offs at the end of August (20, 21, 27 and 28)
• The top 8 teams qualify for the last 16
• The next 16 qualify for the play-offs (Round of 16)
• The bottom 12 are eliminated from all European competitions (no repechage in the Europa League)
• Play-off draw on 31 January 2025
• Play-offs (two legs on 11, 12, 18 and 19 February 2025)
• Round of 16 draw on 21 February 2025
• Round-robin knockout matches from the play-offs to the final (31 May 2025)

Last season, Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid were crowned Champions League winners, completing a superb historic treble with wins in La Liga and the Spanish Supercup.

Real Madrid went on to win Europe's most prestigious club competition for the 15th time in their history, further cementing their name and prestige in the competition. Who will succeed Jude Bellingham and company? Make your predictions!

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Our tips for correctly predicting matches and betting on the Champions League

To make reliable Champions League predictions, it's vital to pay attention to certain details. Here are our top tips to consider before placing a bet on the Champions League:

• Analyze the form of the Champions League teams
• Keep an eye on the team news for the Champions League games.
• Take into account how important the match is.
• Look at the history of meetings between the two opposing teams
• Compare Champions League odds before placing your bets

By taking each of these factors into account when analyzing a Champions League match, you'll be able to form an accurate opinion on the outcome. Read on to find out more about each of these tips!

Analyze the form of Champions League teams

The most important stage in your study of a Champions League match is to analyze the form of the teams, and especially that of the key players on the pitch. For example, last year with Manchester City, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland could single-handedly win their team the competition. If they are in form, you will therefore understand that a "Manchester City win" bet will be more reliable than if the team's two most decisive players are absent. And the same reasoning must be applied with stars like Mbappé, Bellingham, Lewandowski and company. It's all important. 

So always pay attention to the form of players before betting, as the unavailability of a key player can have a significant impact on the outcome of a Champions League match.

Keep an eye on the team news for the Champions League games.

In the same vein, keeping an eye on injured and suspended players will also be important before making a prediction and then placing a bet on a Champions League match. If a major player (e.g. Mbappe) is unavailable for a match against a major opponent, this could obviously affect the final result of a match, whatever the stage of the competition.

Take into account how important the match is

Then, of course, the importance of the match must be taken into account. For example, if in the league stage a team has already qualified for the last 16 and their opponents are playing for a place in the knockout phase, you may consider betting on the outsiders as the favourites may choose a weakened line-up. That has happened with Manchester City in the past.

The same applies to the knockout phase. If a team has beaten its opponent 4-0 in the first leg, we won't gamble on its victory in the return leg. This is a constant in every football competition. Whatever the stage of the competition, you should never make the mistake of ignoring the importance of a Champions League match. Taking this factor into account, there are both good moves to be made, but also pitfalls to be avoided.

Look at the history of meetings between the two opposing teams

To further improve your analysis of a Champions League match, we advise you not to miss out on the latest head-to-head meetings between the clubs. Certain teams are particularly effective against certain opponents, and can get the better of them even if they have a similar level of play on paper. In a sport like football, psychological impact is important, and a team that has lost all its head-to-heads to another team will find it difficult to perform against them in future matches.

This factor is all the more important if the matches take place in the same year. In 2023, for example, Inter Milan won both their head-to-head meetings with AC Milan. As expected, it was Inter who emerged victorious from the Champions League semi-final double-header against the Rossoneri, winning both the home and away matches. It's a detail that can make all the difference when making a UEFA Champions League prediction.

Compare Champions League odds before placing your bets

Finally, of course, you need to compare the Champions League odds before placing your bets on the competition. As you know, sports betting sites generally offer different odds for similar bets. To ensure you get the best potential winnings, you'll need to sign up with a number of bookmakers in order to take advantage of the best odds on the bet of your choice. 

On an average Champions League match, for example, bet365 might offer odds of 2.00 on Manchester City beating Real Madrid, while Bwin offer odds of 2.10. Over the long term, this kind of difference makes a massive difference in your overall winnings should you be consistently able to secure the best odds. Don't underestimate these comparisons!

By following these steps and taking into account the information in the text, you will be able to make more informed predictions and optimize your chances of success in Champions League matches.

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What not to do for your UEFA Champions League predictions

You now know the effective techniques you need to adopt to be successful in your Champions League predictions. Now let's talk about the mistakes you shouldn't make, as this will help you avoid losing money foolishly. So, avoid these actions at all costs: 

• Betting without taking into account the value of the odds
• Betting on your favorite team
• Betting without analyzing the match before hand
• Trying to make up for losing a Champions League bet
• Taking the big odds for no good reason
• Betting on a match where there is nothing at stake in the Champions League league stage
• Betting an amount you're not prepared to lose
• Betting live under emotional pressure

Try to avoid repeating these habits when betting on the 2024/25 Champions League, as they are bound to put you at risk! This advice also applies to other sporting events.

Keep these tips in mind, they will help you avoid potentially costly mistakes.

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Champions League: statistics you need to know

To increase your chances of success with your 2024/25 Champions League predictions, it's essential to take into account the key statistics and figures for the tournament. Here are the most important facts from the previous 2023/24 season:

• Home win percentage: 45%
• Draw percentage: 23%
• Away win percentage: 32%
• Average goals: 2.99 goals per game
• +1.5 goals: 78%
• +2.5 goals: 57%
• +3.5 goals: 36%
• +4.5 goals: 18%
• Goal timing distribution: 76-90 minutes (22%)
• First half goals: 44%
• Second half goals: 56%
• “Both teams score: Yes”: 57%
• Matches with a clean sheet: 46%
• Correct score 0-0: 4% of matches
• Most frequent score: 1-0 (10.7%)
• Most frequent halftime score: 0-0 (27.1%)

If you take a look at these statistics, you'll see that there are some bets that should be favoured on this Champions League 2024-2025. First of all, betting on handicap bets will certainly be the best thing to do once again on this competition.

You will also notice that both teams are able to get on the score sheet quite frequently, which can be an interesting bet to take depending on the context. Likewise, with an average of nearly 3.00 goals per game, the over 1.5 and over 2.5 goals markets should prove to be profitable for the coming Champions League season.

Lastly, fans of big odds can try the correct score 1-0, which happened to be the most common scoreline in the previous campaign. When you see that the odds on this bet are very often higher than 5.00, you'll think it's worth a try. Don't forget to keep all these figures in mind to improve the quality of your bets on the 2024-2025 Champions League. Be careful though, as the format is completely different in the first part of the competition.

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In short: how to make the right predictions on Champions League matches?

Thanks to the information you have been given on this page, you are now ready to make your predictions on the Champions League 2024-2025.

Don't forget to study each match in depth, using the key statistics, and to follow the best practices recommended by our experts.

Of course, you can also take the easy way out and take advantage of the many free Champions League betting tips offered by our experts. They're 100% free, so you can place reliable bets without worrying. Good luck to you!

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Our Champions League Predictions of the moment

There are no previews at the moment for this competition

Champions League: best odds

To improve your results on Europe's most prestigious cup, don't hesitate to compare Champions League odds and follow the matches live on our Champions League Livescores page. These tools will help you make more accurate predictions for the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League.

The images featuring this article are licensed from the IMAGO website.