Champions League predictions and tips (2024/2025)

For some of the best Champions League odds and predictions, follow the action alongside the Marathonbet blog.

We’ll describe how the format of this season’s Champions League has changed, highlight the leading fancies and suggest teams who could cause a potential upset.

This season will be the 70^th edition of a top-tier European club competition, and the 33^rd season since it was rebranded as the Champions League.

23 different teams have won the European Cup/Champions League since the first final in 1956.  Real Madrid won the first five tournaments, and five of the last nine tournaments. Overall, Los Blancos have won the trophy fifteen times, more than twice the amount of the next most successful side, Milan, who have seven titles to their name.

Champions League: league stage predictions and tips

We’ve now reached the first edition of the new league stage in the 2024/25 Champions League, with all 36 participating teams now confirmed.

The first round of matches will be played across the 17^th and 19^th September.

With this round of the Champions League now taking the form of a 36-team league, and each team playing eight matches, the new format has generated some cracking ties.

Six matches will take place each day. Here are a few of the top games to look out for…

Matchday 1

Tuesday 17^th September

The defending champions, Real Madrid, are in action on the first day, as they host Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabéu. Real have won both of their home LaLiga fixtures without conceding a goal so far this season, whereas Stuttgart let in six goals in their first two Bundesliga matches. These sides have never played each other before.

Milan also got off to slow start in Serie A, taking just two points from their first three matches. They will hope the addition of the experienced Álvaro Morata will give them more of a goal threat. They welcome a Liverpool team who have started brightly in the EPL for new manager Arne Slot. These sides met in the group stage of the 2021/22 Champions League, with Liverpool having won 2-1 in Milan and 3-2 at Anfield.

There is also a home fixture for another Italian side, Juventus, who have an intriguing tie against PSV Eindhoven. Juventus will be hoping for a better run in this competition, after failing to progress beyond the round of 16 in their last four appearances. PSV also have a disappointing recent record in this competition, but are scoring goals for fun at the moment. Last season, they won the Eredivisie by seven points and scored 111 goals across their 34 matches. They started this season in the same fashion, scoring 18 goals in their first four matches. This will be the first time these sides have played each other.

Vincent Kompany starts his first Champions League campaign as a manager with Bayern Munich. With the UCL final to be held at their home stadium, there is added incentive for the German side this season. Their first opponents, Hungarian side Dinamo Zagreb, had to navigate a playoff round against Qarabağ to reach the league stage. These sides have met on one previous occasion, in the group stage of the 2015/16 Champions League, with Bayern ending up convincing winners, 5-0 at home and 2-0 away.

Wednesday 18^th September

Last season’s defeated finalists, Borussia Dortmund, start their campaign with an away trip to Club Brugge. The Belgian side had a stuttering start to their domestic season, taking just a single point from their opening three matches, although they followed that with three victories. Dortmund had their worse domestic season since 2015 when they finished fifth last year, and the experienced duo of Mats Hummels and Marco Reus have since departed. These sides were drawn together in the group stages in both the 2020/21 and 2108/19 Champions League. In the former, Dortmund won both the home and away matches 3-0, whilst in the latter, Brugge secured a goalless draw in Germany but lost at home 1-0.

Manchester City vs Inter promises to be one of the best ties of the opening round of fixtures, as the English champions go toe-to-toe with the Italian champions. They have both started their domestic seasons well, and this should be a fantastic spectacle for the neutral. With two of the best strikers in the world on display, Erling Haaland and Lautaro Martínez, will we see plenty of goals? The only time these sides have met in a competitive match was in the 2022/23 Champions League final, held in Istanbul. City won by a solitary goal scored by Rodri.

How will PSG fare in the Champions League without having the services of Kylian Mbappé to rely on? They reached the semi-final last season before being eliminated by Borussia Dortmund, although PSG have started the Ligue 1 season with three convincing victories. Girona are playing their first ever Champions League match, after their surprising third-place finish in last season’s LaLiga ensured their qualification. These teams have never met before.

Thursday 19^th September

Bayer Leverkusen will be unable to emulate their record-breaking undefeated season in the Bundesliga after they lost their second match of the new season. Their last Champions League campaign ended at the group stage, and the German champions will be looking for an improved effort this season. They face a tough opening match away to Feyenoord, who have lost just two matches in each of their last two domestic seasons. This will be the first meeting between these two sides.

Monaco have only met Barcelona once before, but that was recently in the Joan Gamper Trophy. That match is a traditional curtain-raiser to the Barcelona season, which started as a four-team event in 1966. Since 1997, that changed to a single match. Prior to this season, Barcelona had won the trophy on the previous 11 occasions; however, this season they were defeated 3-0 by Monaco. That was also the only time Barça have not scored in this match since it was reduced to two teams. However, that didn’t affect Barcelona’s start to the season, as they won their opening four LaLiga matches, including a 7-0 victory over Real Valladolid.

Atlético Madrid and RB Leipzig have only met once before. That was in the quarter-finals of the 2019/20 Champions League, in which an 88^th-minute goal was enough to see the German side progress by a scoreline of 2-1. Atlético have seen some of their attacking threat leave the club at the start of this season, with Álvaro Morata, João Félix and Memphis Depay all moving on. They have brought in Julián Álvarez from Manchester City to lead their front line. RB Leipzig have done what no team managed to do all last season—defeat Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. A 3-2 away victory for Leipzig in only the second match of the new season ensured there would be repeat of the champions’ record breaking season.

Atalanta and Arsenal is another match-up featuring sides have never previously met. Atalanta were the only team to beat Bayer Leverkusen last season, defeating the German side 3-0 in the Europa League final, courtesy of a hat-trick from Ademola Lookman. However, the Italian side have not made such a good start to this season, losing the Super Cup to Real Madrid, followed by defeats in two of their first three Serie A matches. Meanwhile, Arsenal took seven points from their first three league matches and extended their run to a solitary defeat from their last 19 competitive matches.

Champions League best bets: Matchday 1

Juventus vs PSV Eindhoven – PSV Eindhoven to Win or Draw @ 2.08

Juventus have made a solid start to their Serie A season under the guidance of new manager Thiago Motta, with two wins and two draws from their opening four matches, but their recent European form has not been so good. Last season, Juventus were due to play in the Conference League owing to a seventh-place finish in Serie A, but they were excluded from competing due to a violation of financial regulations. The previous season, they lost five of their six Champions League group games and were transferred to the Europa League. Although they did reach the semi-finals of that competition, they only won two of their four home matches, and each of those were won with 1-0 scorelines.

Meanwhile, PSV have carried on where they left off last season, scoring goals for fun in the Eredivisie. They started the season with a 4-4 draw in the Super Cup against Feyenoord, before winning their first five league games by an aggregate score of 20-3.

In last season’s Champions League, PSV won two, drew two and lost two of their six away matches, with the defeats coming at Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund. With their current goalscoring prowess, the Dutch side are more than capable of getting at least a point from their trip to Turin in what will be the first ever meeting between these sides.

Club Brugge vs Borussia Dortmund – Borussia Dortmund to Win to Nil @ 3.78

Club Brugge have won four of their last five domestic league titles, including the one for last season, in which they were 19 points behind Union Saint-Gilloise in fourth place at the end of the regular season, only to overtake their rivals after the additional 10 games in the Champion’s play-offs. They started this domestic season without a win from their first three matches, although they have since won their last four Pro League matches. However, Club Brugge generally find the Champions League a far harder nut to crack. They have not won in their last five UCL matches and have failed to score in four of those games, which include a 4-0 and 2-0 home loss.

Borussia Dortmund reached last season’s Champions League final, where they lost 2-0 to perennial winners, Real Madrid. They won three of their six away matches during that campaign, including 1-0 victories at Newcastle and PSG. Dortmund have won two and drawn one of their first three Bundesliga matches.

These sides have been drawn in the same UCL group twice in the last six years. Borussia won three of the four games between the sides without conceding a goal, and the other match finished 0-0. We’re taking a chance on the German side shutting out their opponents again this time.

Atalanta vs Arsenal – Under 2.5 Match Goals @ 2.14

Last season’s Europa League winners, Atalanta, have struggled at the start of this season. They started with a 2-0 loss in the UEFA Super Cup against Real Madrid, and then lost two of their first three Serie A matches. However, the Italian side recovered from being 2-1 down to beat Fiorentina 3-2 at home on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have started the season in decent form. They sit second in the EPL after a victory on Sunday, against North London rivals Tottenham, took their opening run to three wins and one draw. They have looked solid defensively so far and have only conceded once goal across those opening four matches, and that was after they had been reduced to 10 men against Brighton.

These sides have never met before and, with the Gunners defence in top form, Atalanta may find goalscoring opportunities are at a premium.

Champions League fixtures–Matchday 1

Tuesday 17th September

Wednesday 18th September

Thursday 19th September

Matchday 2

The new league stage is underway in the 2024/25 Champions League as teams jostle for positions in the early stages.

The second round of matches will be played across the 1^st and 2^nd October.

With this round of the Champions League now taking the form of a 36-team league, and each team playing eight matches, the new format has generated some cracking ties.

Nine matches will take place each day. Here are a few of the top games to look out for…

Tuesday 1^st October

The standout match on Tuesday sees Arsenal host PSG. After five seasons competing in the Europa League, the Gunners returned to the top-tier competition last season. They won their first four home matches without conceding a goal, before a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich at the Emirates broke that winning sequence. PSG reached the semi-finals of last season’s competition, before two 1-0 defeats to Borussia Dortmund saw them eliminated. Their away form was inconsistent during that tournament, with a 4-1 loss away to Newcastle in the group stage followed by a 4-1 victory against Barcelona in the quarter-finals. These sides have only met twice competitively before, in the 2016/17 UCL group stage. Both matches ended in draws.

Bayer Leverkusen start their Champions League home fixtures with a match against Milan. The German side will be looking to go one better after losing in last season’s Europa League final. Milan had a disappointing UCL campaign last season after finishing third in their group, albeit in the strongest of the groups. That moved them to the Europa League, where they reached the quarter-final before losing out to fellow Italian side Roma. These sides have never met before.

Hansi Flick has what appears to be a comfortable home tie to start his first Champions League campaign as Barcelona manager. They host Swiss side Young Boys, who have won just three away matches from their last 23 in the Champions League.

Inter will also fancy their chances at home to Crvena Zvezda, who have a poor record on their travels in this competition. The Serbian side have lost seven of their last eight away games, with their only victory against Armenian side Pyunik. However, they have scored in eight of their last 10 European away games so will pose a threat. Meanwhile, Inter have won seven and drawn two of their last nine Champions League home matches, keeping clean sheets in seven of those games.

Wednesday 2^nd October

Defending Champions Real Madrid travel to Lille for their second match in the league stage. Given their UCL record, it is no surprise that Real have lost just two of their last 27 matches in the competition, and none of their last 13 games. Lille did win both of their home matches in qualifying to reach the league stage, but the opposition is now of a far higher level.

RB Leipzig at home to Juventus looks to be an intriguing tie between two teams who will have aspirations of challenging in the latter stages of the competition, despite both sides struggling to progress beyond the round of 16 in recent seasons. Leipzig have an inconsistent home record in the UCL, both winning and losing five times from their last 12 matches in Germany. Meanwhile, Juventus have struggled on their travels in this competition in recent years, losing four and drawing once from their last five away trips. This will be the first meeting between these sides.

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany returns to England, as his side face a tricky trip to Aston Villa. Defeated in last year’s semi-final, Bayern will be looking to add to their six titles in the top-tier competition of European football. However, the German side are winless from their last three away games in the UCL. For Aston Villa, this is almost unchartered territory, with their last home tie at this level having been played way back in 1983. 

Arne Slot has his first Champions League night at Anfield as Liverpool manager, as his side take on Bologna. 2-0 has become a popular home scoreline for the Reds, with five of their last 10 UCL matches ending that way. This will be a tough test for Bologna, as the Italian side have only played in the top-tier of European football once before—60 years ago!

Champions League predictions

With the format changing as described in the section below, it’s yet to be seen how the new structure will affect the chances of the teams in this year’s competition. The draw will still be influential, as each team will only face eight opponents in the league stage, and in theory the better sides should be spread throughout the draw, as they will be seeded. This will rule out the ‘group of death’ scenarios from previous tournaments, in which teams only faced three opponents. However, with each team playing their opponent either home or away, the venue of a specific fixture could still play a crucial role in deciding who qualifies. 

As 24 of the 36 competing teams will progress to the knockout rounds, this format should ensure that most, if not all, of the stronger sides get past the league stage, whilst also allowing the underdogs a chance of progressing with some good results.

At this stage of the season, it’s tricky to make your UCL picks, but as soon as the transfer window closes and the domestic seasons start, you will start to get a clearer picture of who could be the likely champions.

Who are the favourites to win the Champions League?

Manchester City are the early favourites, based on their recent dominance of the EPL and despite only winning the Champions League once before. However, many will wait to see what signings Pep Guardiola makes ahead of the new season, with movement in and out of the Etihad having been quiet during the early stages of the transfer window.

Real Madrid will be on many punters’ betting slips as likely winners, given their fantastic record in the competition. Even when playing poorly, they always seem to find a way to get a result. Now, with Kylian Mbappé and exciting Brazilian youngster Endrick added to their ranks, as well as the talented 19-year-old Arda Güler breaking into the first team, Real could be stronger than ever this season.

The next two teams in the betting market are English rivals Arsenal and Liverpool. The Gunners have been strong challengers in the EPL in recent seasons, but their record in European competitions suggests there are more likely winners. The last time they reached the Champions League final was in 2006, when they lost to Barcelona, and their last European trophy was back in 1994.

Liverpool failed to qualify for the Champions League last season and could only reach the quarter-final stage of the Europa League. With Jürgen Klopp having departed, new manager Arne Slot will be hoping to drive the Reds back to European glory.

Bayern Munich also have a new boss at the helm this season, with Vincent Kompany taking over after an unsuccessful season at Burnley, which saw his team relegated from the EPL. Last season Bayern lost their stranglehold on the Bundesliga and saw victory snatched from their grasp in the UCL semi-final after conceding two late goals to Real Madrid. They will be spurred on by the fact that the final will be held at their home stadium, the Allianz Arena.

Hansi Flick has taken over at Barcelona to become their first German manager since 1983. His new side have not progressed beyond the Champions League quarter-finals since 2019 and they finished a full 10 points behind Real in last season’s LaLiga table.

Inter dominated Serie A last season, taking the title by a colossal 19 points. That success followed on from a Champions League final appearance in the previous season for Simone Inzaghi’s men, the first time they had made the final for 13 years. Although they lost 1-0 to Manchester City, a repeat of last season’s league form would see them in contention for European glory.

Despite their poor overall record in this competition, PSG always start as one of the fancied teams, based on their dominance of French football. However, without having the services of Kylian Mbappé to assist them, it’s hard to see them winning the title for the first time this season.

Which teams can do well in the Champions League?

Looking at the list of previous Champions League winners, you may not want to look any further than the teams already mentioned. Indeed, you need to go back as far as the 2003/04 tournament to find one of the underdogs claiming the title. Porto beat Monaco 3-0 in the final, and with Deportivo La Coruña reaching the semi-final, it was a season of upsets.

With the gap between the ‘big’ teams and the rest seemingly increasing season-by-season, are there any longer-priced teams that can make inroads into this year’s tournament?

Many eyes will be on Bayer Leverkusen following their record-breaking season in the Bundesliga, but can manager Xabi Alonso follow that up with another successful season? Leverkusen have a poor record in the Champions League, and it might pay to see how they start the season before placing your bet.

Atalanta also had a great season last year. They finished fourth in Serie A and beat Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final. That Europa League victory also included a 3-1 aggregate win over Liverpool in the quarter-finals, where they stunned the Reds with a 3-0 first-leg victory at Anfield. They could be a lively outsider.

Can Aston Villa make an impact in this tournament after qualifying for the first time since 1983?  The Villans were favourites to take the title at the semi-final stage of the Europa Conference League last season, only to be comprehensively beaten with an aggregate scoreline of 6-2 by the ultimate winners, Olympiacos.

At first glance, odds of around 36.00 for Juventus may look appealing, but since winning the Serie A title in 2019/20, the Old Lady have failed to finish in the top-two positions in their national league. They failed to qualify for last season’s Champions League and last reached the final in 2017.

Having last won way back in 1988, can PSV Eindhoven reach the dizzy heights of European success again? Although they have struggled to make an impact in the top European competition for many years, with an almost 20-year gap since they last reached the semi-finals, PSV took the Eredivisie by storm last season. They won the title from Feyenoord by seven points, and in doing so scored 111 goals for a staggering goal difference of +90.

What is the new format for the Champions League?

The format for this season’s Champions League is changing, with a 36-team league stage replacing the group stage. Under this new format, there will be four more teams competing than before. Previously, it was 32 teams competing in eight groups of four.

Each team will play matches against eight different teams, four at home and four away. The eight opponents will be drawn from among the competing teams, after they are sorted into four seeding pots, with each team playing two opponents from each of these pots.

The idea is that clubs will play a wider range of opponents, and that this format will provide fewer dead rubbers.  

How do teams qualify from the league phase of the Champions League?

• The top eight sides in the league phase will qualify for the knockout phase and move directly into the round of 16.
• The sides finishing in 9^th to 24^th place will compete in a two-legged playoff round to determine the other eight teams to reach the round of 16.
• Those sides finishing in 25^th or lower will be eliminated. There is no access to a place in the Europa League for teams that do not progress from the league phase.

Champions League schedule (2024/25)

Playoff round   

First leg:  20^th–21^st August, Second leg: 27^th–28^th August

League phase

Draw date: 29^th August

Matchday 1: 17^th–19^th September 

Matchday 2: 1^st–2^nd October 

Matchday 3: 22^nd–23^rd October 

Matchday 4: 5^th–6^th November

Matchday 5: 26^th–27^th November 

Matchday 6: 10^th–11^th December

Matchday 7: 21^st–22^nd January

Matchday 8: 29^th January

Knockout phase

Draw date: 31^st January

Knockout rounds playoffs: First leg: 11^th–12^th February, Second Leg 18^th–19^th February

Draw date for round of 16 onwards: 21^st February

Round of 16: First leg: 4^th–5^th March, Second Leg 11^th–12^th March

Quarter-finals: First leg: 8^th–9^th April, Second Leg 15^th–16^th April

Semi-finals: First leg: 29^th–30^th April, Second Leg 6^th–7^th May

Final: 31st May.

Where is the Champions League final 2024/25 being held?

The final will be held on the 31^st of May 2025 at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.

The stadium was constructed between 2002 and 2005. The first competitive match at the new stadium was on 30^th May 2005 between 1860 Munich and FC Nürnberg. The following day, Bayern Munich played a match against the German national team.

The Allianz Arena also hosted the 2011/12 Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Despite it being the first time that one of the finalists was playing at their home ground for 28 years, Bayern could not capitalise on this advantage and lost 4-3 on penalties after the match ended in a 1-1 draw. It was a tale of late goals, with Thomas Müller opening the scoring for the German side in the 83^rd-minute, before Didier Drogba equalised for Chelsea five minutes later.

Which teams will compete in the league phase of the Champions League?

The 36 teams who will contest the league stage are:

• Real Madrid (Spain)
• Barcelona (Spain)
• Girona (Spain)
• Atlético Madrid (Spain)
• Manchester City (England)
• Arsenal (England)
• Liverpool (England)
• Aston Villa (England)
• Atalanta (Italy)
• Inter (Italy)
• Milan (Italy)
• Juventus (Italy)
• Bologna (Italy)
• Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
• VfB Stuttgart (Germany)
• Bayern Munich (Germany)
• RB Leipzig (Germany)
• Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
• Paris Saint-Germain (France)
• Monaco (France)
• Brest (France)
• Lille (France)
• PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
• Feyenoord (Netherlands)
• Sporting Lisboa (Portugal)
• Benfica (Portugal)
• Club Brugge (Belgium)
• Celtic (Scotland)
• Sturm Graz (Austria)
• Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)
• Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
• Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)
• Crvena zvezda (Serbia)
• Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)
• Young Boys (Switzerland)
• Sparta Prague (Czech Republic)

Previous Champions League/European Cup records of the teams contesting the league phase

Real Madrid (Spain)

The most dominant side in the history of the top-tier European competition. Real have reached the final 18 times, with a stupendous strike-rate of 15 titles and three finishes as runners-up. They have won five of the last nine competitions, including the 2023/24 Champions League, when they beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final at Wembley. They have reached the semi-finals in each season bar two since 2010/11.

Barcelona (Spain)

Real’s main Spanish rivals have had far less success in this competition. Barcelona have five titles to their name, with the last trophy coming in 2015, when they beat Juventus 3-1 in the final. Since then, the Catalan side have reached the semi-final stage just once and experienced a run which included successive group stage exits in 2021/22 and 2022/23. If they manage to reach the final, Barcelona will be lifted by their last four final appearances, in which they were victors on each occasion.

Girona (Spain)

This is the first time Girona will play in the Champions League. It’s a remarkable achievement, given that it was only Girona’s fourth ever season in LaLiga, with the side from Catalonia finishing in third place. Their previous best LaLiga finish was 10^th. However, with heightened expectations on them after that third-placed finish, Girona may find this season much tougher going.

Atlético Madrid (Spain)

Atlético Madrid have been regular participants in the Champions League and have reached the final three times previously, but are yet to claim the trophy. Their two most recent finals were in 2014 and 2016, and on both occasions they were beaten by Real Madrid, once after extra-time and once on penalties.

Manchester City (England)

Manchester City have reached the Champions League twice in the previous four seasons, losing to Chelsea in 2021 and defeating Inter in 2023. In the other two seasons during that time, City were eliminated by Real Madrid on both occasions. Despite their dominance in the EPL in recent seasons, they have struggled to transfer that form into the Champions League. Since returning to the Champions League in 2011 (the first time since 1968), City had reached the semi-final just once before losing to Chelsea in that 2021 final.

Arsenal (England)

Arsenal qualified for the Champions League for every season between 2001 and 2017, but just managed one appearance in the final during that period. That was in 2006, when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona. After spending the next five seasons contesting the Europa League, they qualified for the Champions League last season, where they were eliminated by Bayern Munich at the quarter-final stage. They are yet to win Europe’s elite club competition. Their only major European trophy was the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994.

Liverpool (England)

With six titles, Liverpool currently have the fourth best record in this competition. Four of those successes came between 1977 and 1984, with their most recent title coming in 2019, when they overcame Tottenham 2-0 in an all-English final. Last season Liverpool failed to qualify for the Champions league, whilst they came unstuck against Real Madrid in the round of 16 in the previous season, losing the home-leg 5-2, despite taking a 2-0 lead after just 14 minutes, and being defeated 1-0 in the away leg.

Aston Villa (England)

Aston Villa have qualified for the main European club competition for the first time since 1983. They were European Cup champions in 1982, having beaten Bayern Munich in the final, but then had to wait until last season to make the semi-finals in any of the main European competitions, this time in the Europa Conference League.

Atalanta (Italy)

Fresh from winning last season’s Europa League, Atalanta will hope to make an impact in the latter stages of the Champions League. They have qualified three times before, in successive seasons from 2019/20 onwards, but are yet to progress beyond the quarter-finals. In 2021/22, Atalanta exited at the group stage after winning just one match.

Inter (Italy)

Although Inter have won this competition three times, two of those were over 59 years ago. Their most recent success came in 2010, beating Bayern Munich 2-0. Inter reached the final again in 2023, only to lose by a single goal to Manchester City. However, after winning Serie A by a massive 19 points last season, the Nerazzurri will expect to be contesting the latter stages of this season’s Champions League.

Milan (Italy)

Milan hold the upper hand over city rivals Inter in this competition, with their seven wins making them the second most successful team of all time. Their most recent win was in 2007, when they beat Liverpool 2-0. Prior to that, they beat Juventus on penalties in an all-Italian final in 2003. Last season they exited the tournament at the group stage and moved into the Europa League, where they reached the quarter-final before losing out to Roma.

Juventus (Italy)

Despite their historic dominance in Serie A with 36 league titles, Juventus have failed to match that level in the main European competition. They have two Champions League titles to their name, with the last one coming in 1996, and have finished runners-up on seven occasions. However, in their four most recent appearances, they have exited at the round of 16 three times and failed to even qualify for the knockout round in 2022/23.

Bologna (Italy)

Bologna qualified for the league phase this season courtesy of the new European Performance Slots, which gave entry to the fifth-place teams in Serie A and the Bundesliga. This means that Bologna qualify for the main European competition for only the second time, with the previous occasion back in 1964, when they were eliminated in the preliminary round by Anderlecht. The last time they played in any of the main European competitions was in the UEFA Cup in the 1999/2000 season.   

Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Germany)

Bayer Leverkusen won their first Bundesliga title after a record-breaking 2023/24 season. They were the first team to win the Bundesliga without losing a match, and also won the DFB-Pokal. They competed in the Europa League last season, winning every group game and reaching the final without losing a match, before a 3-0 defeat to Atalanta in the final saw the German side succumb to their only defeat of the season in any competition. They reached the Champions League final in 2002, before losing 2-1 to Real Madrid. In three of their last four Champions League campaigns, they have exited at the group stage.

VfB Stuttgart (Germany)

Having finished above Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, surprise package Stuttgart claimed a Champions League place for the first time since 2010. In that season, they progressed to the knockout stage before losing 5-1 on aggregate to Barcelona in the round of 16, which matched their previous best performance in this competition.

Bayern Munich (Germany)

Bayern have six titles to their name in the top European competition, with the latest coming in 2020 when they defeated PSG 1-0. However, the shock of losing their Bundesliga title for the first time in 11 seasons, coupled with their semi-final loss to Real Madrid in this competition last season, in which they conceded twice in the 88^th and 91^st minutes to be eliminated, will ensure there is plenty of pressure on new manager Vincent Kompany to succeed. 

RB Leipzig (Germany)

Formed as recently as 2009, RB Leipzig qualified for their first Champions League just eight years later for the 2017/18 season. Their best placing was when they reached the semi-final before losing 3-0 to PSG in 2020. They have been eliminated in the round of 16 in the last two seasons, after having the misfortune of coming up against Manchester City and Real Madrid respectively.

Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

Dortmund had their worst season in the Bundesliga since 2015 when finishing fifth last year, although they still reached the Champions League final. They lost 2-0 to Real Madrid in that final, and also lost in the 2013 final. They have one Champions League trophy to their name, which they won by beating Juventus 3-1 in 1997. Like Bologna, Dortmund qualified for the league phase this season courtesy of the new European Performance Slots, which gave entry to the fifth-place teams in Serie A and the Bundesliga.

Paris Saint-Germain (France)

Despite their recent dominance in Ligue 1, PSG have failed to make an impact in European football. They have only reached the final of the Champions League once, which they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in 2020. PSG have qualified for the last 12 Champions League tournaments, but only made it as far as the semi-finals three times. Last season, they lost both semi-final legs by a scoreline of 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund.

Monaco (France)

Monaco reached the 2004 Champions League final, only to lose 3-0 to Porto. However, since then their record has generally been poor. They failed to qualify for Europe at all last season, and in the previous two seasons were eliminated from the Champions League before reaching the group stage. Prior to that, in 2017/18 and 2018/19, Monaco did play in the group stage, but they finished bottom both times and didn’t win a single match in either tournament.

Brest (France)

After exceeding all expectations by finishing third in Ligue 1 last season, Brest will be making their debut in European football. That was the first season in which they finished above eighth in the top tier of French football. However, they will be hampered by the fact their stadium does not meet the standards for UEFA European competitions, so they are likely to play their home matches at Guingamp’s Stade de Roudourou , which is located around 70 miles from Brest.

Lille (France)

Lille are relative newcomers to the European stage, having competed for the first time in the 2001/02 Champions League. They are yet to progress beyond the round of 16 in this competition; however, they did top their group in 2021/22, only to lose to Chelsea in the next round. In last season’s Conference League, Lille also topped their group before ultimately losing to Aston Villa 4-3 in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals. They reached the league stage of this Champions League with two hard-fought 3-2 aggregate victories over both Fenerbahçe and Slavia Prague.

PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)

PSV won this coveted trophy back in 1988 after defeating Benfica 6-5 on penalties following a goalless draw. However, it took another 17 years for the Dutch champions to progress as far as the semi-finals, and they have not done so again since 2005. In their last six Champions League competitions, two round-of-16 finishes have been their best results.

Feyenoord (Netherlands)

Like compatriots PSV, Feyenoord also have one Champions League title to their name, although that was even further back. In 1970 Feyenoord beat Celtic 2-1 to become the first Dutch club ever to win the top European trophy, although their great rivals, Ajax, then subsequently won the next three tournaments. From the 2000/01 Champions League onwards, Feyenoord have qualified for the tournament seven times, but never progressed beyond the group stage.

Sporting Lisboa (Portugal)

Over the last 10 seasons, Sporting have had a mediocre record in European competitions. They have only qualified for the knockout stage once in the Champions League during that period, before a 5-0 home defeat to Manchester City ended any chance of further progression. Their sole European success was 60 years ago, when they won the Cup Winners’ Cup, and they have never reached the final of the Champions League.

Benfica (Portugal)

Benfica are the most successful Portuguese side in the Champions League, having won it twice and finishing runners-up five times. All of those results came during the period in which it was known as the European Cup—with the victories coming in 1961 and 1962, over Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively. However, since then, they have reached eight European finals (five European Cup and three UEFA Cup/Europa League finals) and have lost on each occasion.

Club Brugge (Belgium)

Club Brugge achieved their best Champions League finish with a round of 16 exit in 2022/23, after losing just once in a group that included Porto, Bayer Leverkusen and Atlético Madrid. They followed that by reaching the semi-final in the Europa Conference League last season. Back in the 1970’s Brugge reached the final in both the European Cup and UEFA Cup but were beaten by Liverpool on both occasions.

Celtic (Scotland)

Celtic have featured in 22 of the previous 23 Champions League tournaments, but have not progressed beyond the round of 16 during that period. It is now over 10 years since they even made it that far, and the Scottish champions finished bottom of their group in each of the last two seasons. Their one success came in the days of the European Cup, when they defeated Inter 2-1 in the 1967 final.

Sturm Graz (Austria)

The Austrian side have qualified for the group stage in three previous Champions League tournaments, the last time being in 2001. In five attempts since then, Sturm Graz have failed to reach the group stage, and they suffered a heavy 7-2 aggregate defeat to PSV in last season’s third qualifying round. The last time they reached the quarter-finals in any European competition was in the 1983/84 UEFA Cup, 40 years ago!

Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)

The Austrian side eliminated FC Twente and Dynamo Kyiv to reach the league stage. They have competed in every Champions League since 2012/13, but have only qualified from the group stages once. That was in 2021/22, when they won all of their three home group matches to finish in second place. However, despite a 1-1 draw in the home leg to Bayern Munich in the round of 16, Salzburg were no match for their opponents in Germany, where they lost the second leg 7-1

Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)

Shakhtar have qualified for every Champions League since 2000/01; however, they have only managed to progress beyond the group stage on four occasions. Their best performance was in the 2010/11 season, when they topped their group and then beat Roma 6-2 on aggregate in the round of 16. However, a quarter-final against Barcelona was one step too far, with the Spanish side easily winning 6-1 on aggregate. The Ukrainian side have one European success to their name, winning the UEFA Cup in 2009 after defeating Werder Bremen in the final.

Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)

Dinamo Zagreb have a long history in European football, with their first appearance coming in the 1958 European Cup. They reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2020/21 by defeating Tottenham after overcoming a 2-0 first-leg deficit. Two years later, Dinamo played in the group stage of the Champions League, where they defeated Chelsea 1-0 at home. However, they lost four of their other five games and finished bottom of the group. They comfortably beat Qarabağ to reach this league stage, winning both home and away in their playoff matches.

Crvena zvezda (Serbia)

Crvena zvezda, also known as Red Star Belgrade, won the European Cup in 1990/91. After a goalless 120 minutes against Marseille, Crvena Zvezda took the title following a 5-3 penalty shootout. However, they have not come close to matching that performance since, only progressing beyond the group stage three times in any competition, and have never gone beyond the round of 16. In their last two European campaigns, the Champions League last season and the Europa League the season before, they finished bottom of the group on both occasions.

Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)

Slovan Bratislava looked to be heading out of the Champions League before two goals in the last eight minutes of their playoff match saw them defeat Midtjylland 4-3 on aggregate. That was the fourth round of matches they had to play just to reach this stage and, during those rounds, they won all their home matches and were undefeated away. They do have a European title to their name, having defeating Barcelona 2-1 in the 1969 Cup Winners’ Cup final. However, since then they have failed to progress beyond the round of 16 in any European competition.

Young Boys (Switzerland)

Young Boys qualified for the league stage through excellent home and away wins in their tie against Galatasaray. The Swiss side have been regular competitors in European competitions over the years, with their best finish this century being a round-of-16 exit in the 2020/21 Europa League. They did compete in the group stages of last season’s Champions League, but home and away defeats to both Manchester City and RB Leipzig ended their hopes of qualifying for the knockout rounds.

Sparta Prague (Czech Republic)

Sparta Prague have already progressed through three qualifying rounds to reach this stage, eliminating Shamrock Rovers, Steaua București and Malmö. Last season, they reached the Europa League round of 16, only to encounter a Liverpool side in dominant form. Sparta lost the home leg 5-1, followed by a 6-1 defeat at Anfield. The Czech side have made little progress when competing in the Champions League of late, with their last group stage appearance coming nearly 20 years ago.

Champions League betting odds

The odds below show the prices offered on each of the teams before the start of the league phase.

• 3.00     Manchester City
• 4.50     Real Madrid
• 9.00   Arsenal
• 13.00   Barcelona
• 13.00   Bayern Munich
• 15.00   Liverpool
• 19.00   Paris Saint-Germain
• 25.00   Atlético Madrid
• 25.00   Bayer Leverkusen
• 25.00   Borussia Dortmund
• 25.00   Inter
• 41.00   Juventus
• 41.00   Milan
• 51.00   Atalanta
• 67.00   Aston Villa
• 83.00   RB Leipzig
• 101.00 Benfica
• 101.00 Lille
• 101.00 Monaco
• 101.00 Red Bull Salzburg
• 101.00 Sporting Lisboa
• 151.00 Feyenoord
• 151.00 Girona
• 151.00 PSV Eindhoven
• 151.00 Stuttgart
• 201.00 Bologna
• 201.00 Shakhtar Donetsk
• 251.00 Brest
• 251.00 Brugge
• 251.00 Celtic
• 251.00 Sparta Prague
• 251.00 Sturm Graz
• 251.00 Young Boys
• 351.00 Dinamo Zagreb
• 501.00 Crvena Zvezda
• 501.00 Slovan Bratislava

All odds are correct at the time of writing but are subject to fluctuation after.

You’ll find some fantastic odds and a massive range of markets on all the Champions League matches in the Marathonbet Sportsbook, as well as some great coverage of the live action once the matches have started.

You can also find informative guides on How to Bet on Football and Handicap Betting in our Sports Betting Guide section, as well as weekly predictions for the English Premier League.