Champions League Predictions and Betting Tips
UEFA Champions League standings
| M | W | D | L | GD | Last 5 | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 16 | |
| 2 | FC Copenhagen | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |
| 3 | Galatasaray | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -3 | 5 | |
| 4 | Manchester United | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 4 | |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 2 | FC Copenhagen | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | Galatasaray | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 3 | Galatasaray | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | FC Copenhagen | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| M | W | D | L | GD | Last 5 | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 13 | |
| 2 | PSV Eindhoven | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | -2 | 9 | |
| 3 | Lens | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -5 | 8 | |
| 4 | Sevilla | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -5 | 2 | |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 3 | Lens | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 2 | PSV Eindhoven | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | Sevilla | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | PSV Eindhoven | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Lens | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | Sevilla | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| M | W | D | L | GD | Last 5 | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Madrid | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 18 | |
| 2 | Napoli | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 | |
| 3 | SC Braga | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -6 | 4 | |
| 4 | Union Berlin | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -4 | 2 | |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Madrid | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 | Napoli | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | SC Braga | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | Union Berlin | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Madrid | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 | Napoli | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | SC Braga | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Union Berlin | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| M | W | D | L | GD | Last 5 | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Sociedad | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 12 | |
| 2 | Inter | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | Benfica | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -4 | 4 | |
| 4 | Red Bull Salzburg | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -4 | 4 | |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Inter | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | Real Sociedad | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 | Benfica | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | Red Bull Salzburg | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Sociedad | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 2 | Inter | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | Red Bull Salzburg | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Benfica | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| M | W | D | L | GD | Last 5 | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atletico Madrid | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 14 | |
| 2 | Lazio | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 10 | |
| 3 | Feyenoord | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -1 | 6 | |
| 4 | Celtic | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -10 | 4 | |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atletico Madrid | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 | Lazio | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | Feyenoord | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 | Celtic | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atletico Madrid | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 2 | Lazio | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | Feyenoord | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Celtic | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| M | W | D | L | GD | Last 5 | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | |
| 2 | Paris Saint Germain | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | |
| 3 | AC Milan | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -3 | 8 | |
| 4 | Newcastle | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 5 | |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Paris Saint Germain | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 | AC Milan | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Newcastle | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | AC Milan | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Newcastle | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Paris Saint Germain | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| M | W | D | L | GD | Last 5 | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 18 | |
| 2 | RB Leipzig | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 12 | |
| 3 | BSC Young Boys | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -6 | 4 | |
| 4 | FK Crvena Zvezda | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | -8 | 1 | |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 | RB Leipzig | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | BSC Young Boys | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | FK Crvena Zvezda | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 | RB Leipzig | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | BSC Young Boys | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | FK Crvena Zvezda | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| M | W | D | L | GD | Last 5 | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 12 | |
| 2 | FC Porto | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 12 | |
| 3 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | -2 | 9 | |
| 4 | Antwerp | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | -11 | 3 | |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 | FC Porto | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 | Antwerp | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| M | W | D | L | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | FC Porto | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 1 | Barcelona | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Antwerp | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 22:0009 Apr | Real Madrid -  Manchester City | 33 | 36 |
| 22:0009 Apr | Arsenal -  Bayern Munich | 22 | 47 |
| 22:0010 Apr | Paris Saint Germain -  Barcelona | 23 | 43 |
| 22:0010 Apr | Atletico Madrid -  Borussia Dortmund | 21 | 39 |
| 22:0016 Apr | Barcelona - Paris Saint Germain | 14 | 54 |
| 22:0016 Apr | Borussia Dortmund - Atletico Madrid | 42 | 48 |
| PEN22:0017 Apr | Manchester City - Real Madrid | 34 | 61 |
| 22:0017 Apr | Bayern Munich - Arsenal | 10 | 62 |
| 22:0030 Apr | Bayern Munich - Real Madrid | ||
| 22:0001 May | Borussia Dortmund - Paris Saint Germain | ||
| 22:0007 May | Paris Saint Germain - Borussia Dortmund | ||
| 22:0008 May | Real Madrid - Bayern Munich |
Barcelona - 14Paris Saint Germain
UEFA Champions League, 16 April 22:00- 0% Barcelona
- 50% Draw
- 50% Paris Saint Germain
Borussia Dortmund - 42Atletico Madrid
UEFA Champions League, 16 April 22:00- 44% Borussia Dortmund
- 56% Draw
- 0% Atletico Madrid
Manchester City - 11Real Madrid
UEFA Champions League, 17 April 22:00- 40% Manchester City
- 30% Draw
- 30% Real Madrid
Bayern Munich - 10Arsenal
UEFA Champions League, 17 April 22:00- 54% Bayern Munich
- 31% Draw
- 15% Arsenal
Atletico Madrid - 21Borussia Dortmund
UEFA Champions League, 10 April 22:00- 25% Atletico Madrid
- 63% Draw
- 13% Borussia Dortmund
Paris Saint Germain - 23Barcelona
UEFA Champions League, 10 April 22:00- 50% Paris Saint Germain
- 33% Draw
- 17% Barcelona
Arsenal - 22Bayern Munich
UEFA Champions League, 9 April 22:00- 31% Arsenal
- 31% Draw
- 38% Bayern Munich
Real Madrid - 33Manchester City
UEFA Champions League, 9 April 22:00- 36% Real Madrid
- 45% Draw
- 18% Manchester City
Atletico Madrid - 21
Inter
UEFA Champions League, 13 March 22:00- 55% Atletico Madrid
- 9% Draw
- 36% Inter
Borussia Dortmund - 20
PSV Eindhoven
UEFA Champions League, 13 March 22:00- 75% Borussia Dortmund
- 13% Draw
- 13% PSV Eindhoven
Arsenal - 10
FC Porto
UEFA Champions League, 12 March 22:00- 67% Arsenal
- 11% Draw
- 22% FC Porto
Barcelona - 31
Napoli
UEFA Champions League, 12 March 22:00- 73% Barcelona
- 18% Draw
- 9% Napoli
Manchester City - 31
FC Copenhagen
UEFA Champions League, 6 March 22:00- 33% Manchester City
- 33% Draw
- 33% FC Copenhagen
Real Madrid - 11
RB Leipzig
UEFA Champions League, 6 March 22:00- 79% Real Madrid
- 5% Draw
- 16% RB Leipzig
Real Sociedad
- 12Paris Saint Germain
UEFA Champions League, 5 March 22:00- 25% Real Sociedad
- 25% Draw
- 50% Paris Saint Germain
The UEFA Champions League (UCL, or CL) is the highest-quality football tournament in the world. By that, we mean that the standard of football played is better at the World Cup, the Euros, or elsewhere. It was first played as the European Cup in the 1955/56 season. Subsequently, in 1992, it was rebranded as the Champions League.
UCL is so important because of the prestige that it brings. It helps clubs attract the best players and is also hugely rewarding from a financial perspective. Moreover, over the years all of the best teams in Europe have lifted the Champions League trophy. However, none can come close to the mighty Real Madrid. The Spanish giants have won the Champions League 14 times (as of the 2022 final).
Champions League Current Format
Over the years, the format and structure of this famous competition have changed many times. For example, it featured just 16 teams and 29 matches in the earliest days. Back then, L’Equipe, a football magazine in France, selected participants. It has evolved, at one time only featuring national champions, before expanding dramatically in recent decades.
By the time of the Champions League rebrand, the tournament saw 36 teams compete, with 82 games played. However, just a few years later, in the 1997/98 season, some nations were allowed to have two teams in the UCL. This meant there were 55 clubs and 85 games. By 2021/22 these numbers reached 80 and 125 respectively. This expansion has continued; the best leagues have four teams in the competition.
Qualification Round
Teams from smaller nations, or weaker ones, need to enter the Champions League properly. Instead, they enter the qualifying rounds. These typically take place between June and August. The various leagues within UEFA are ranked according to the governing body’s co-efficient system, and clubs from the likes of San Marino and Andorra enter the fray in the Preliminary Round.
This sees four teams play, with semis and then a final played before one of them progresses to the First Qualifying Round. This sees 15 two-legged ties between the representatives of slightly better nations. For example, these might include clubs from Sweden, Wales, Poland, and Georgia. Second and third qualifying rounds occur, and more teams are introduced from slightly higher-ranked leagues.
As qualification progresses, we also see sides who perhaps finished second or third in their domestic league enter the CL. There are two separate pathways, a Champions Path and a League Path. By the time of the decisive Play-off Round, there are eight teams in the former and four in the latter. These meet over two legs, with six teams progressing to the Group Stage. Many fans see this as the Champions League proper.
Group Stage
The Group Stage is where the UCL begins to get really lucrative for clubs, and at this point in the competition, they are guaranteed substantial prize money, plus income from TV. In addition to that, these three extra home games guarantee extra gate receipts and associated revenue.
32 teams feature in eight groups of four, which are decided by a draw, usually in August. Additionally, UEFA seeded these teams, with the defending champions, plus the winners of the previous season, among eight teams in Pot 1. Further, the other six are the champions of the top-ranked leagues according to UEFA’s all-important coefficient (Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and others).
The Group Stage sees the four teams play each other home and away, usually from September to December. The top two teams in each group qualify for the competition's knockout phase. The side in the third drops down to the Europa League, whilst the bottom team sees their European quest end. The tiebreak mechanism to separate sides level on points has changed over the years. However, the goal difference for the most recent UCL was only the fifth tiebreaker. Before that came head-to-head records, goal difference in games between tied teams and two further criteria.
Knockout Phase
After the conclusion of the Group Stage, UCL teams get a well-earned Christmas break. They usually only play in Europe in mid-December and mid-February. From here on, the UCL is a straight elimination tournament. The draw for the first stage of the knockouts takes place in mid-December. Teams who win their groups face sides who came second. However, clubs from the same group or nation cannot be drawn against each other.
In the knockout stages, games are played over two legs, and these take place at home and away. Away goals carry no extra weight; if the scores are level, the extra time and penalties will be used in the second leg. The Round of 16 is played in February and March, with the draw for the quarter-finals and the rest of the tournament following that in mid-March.
This is an open draw which sees brackets drawn. By this, we mean that each quarter-finalist knows their pathway to the final, with four teams in the top half of the draw and four teams in the bottom. The quarter-finals are held in April, with the two semi finals in late April/early May.
Final
The Champions League final is usually held towards the end of May or possibly even in June, and for many fans is the highlight of the football year. It is played over one match at a pre-decided venue. A draw decides who is technically the home team, but usually, the venue is neutral. That said, it is common for a team to make it to a final in their stadium. This happened most recently in 2012 when Chelsea beat Bayern Munich in the latter’s Allianz Arena.
That game ended 1-1, but Chelsea won this Champions League final on penalties. If the scores are level after 90 minutes, the match goes to extra time. Should the clubs remain inseparable, a penalty shootout will decide who wins the Champions League.
New format
In May 2022, UEFA announced that they would make changes to the format of the competition. These are due to come into force for the 2024/25 UCL season and were partly in response to the threat of a European Super league. UEFA, therefore, modified the decisions they’d made in 2021. One of the key changes decided in April 2021 was to introduce the “Swiss system”.
The UCL has long seen a round-robin Group Stage where each side plays all the others in their group. A Swiss system sees teams only play against some of the other sides. The agreed format for 2024/25 represents a significant change to the current system and will see the tournament proper expand from 32 to 36 teams.
These will play in a single group, or league, with every side playing four times at home and four away. The top eight sides will automatically qualify for the Round of 16, where they will be seeded. The teams finishing ninth to 24th in the initial league will face two-legged play-offs to whittle them down to the final eight (unseeded) teams for the knockout phase.
From here, the format will remain unchanged. These alterations mean more games for more sides. As such, the competition will be even more lucrative for those involved. In addition, the CL will expand to 189 games in total, 64 more than previously.
Tournament Records and Stats
The Champions League offers many great stats, records and pieces of trivia. Here, however, we will briefly examine just three of the most essential records in the competition's history.
Most wins
As noted earlier, Real Madrid is the most successful team in the history of this competition. The Spanish giants boast 14 wins overall, including each of the first five. They are seven titles clear of Milan and eight ahead of Liverpool and Bayern Munich. Given they are also 14 ahead of PSG, we do not see them losing their supremacy anytime soon.
| 🏆 Titles | ⚽ Team(s) |
| 14 | Real Madrid |
| 7 | Milan |
| 6 | Bayern Munich, Liverpool |
| 5 | Barcelona |
| 4 | Ajax |
| 3 | Manchester United, Inter Milan |
| 2 | Juventus, Benfica, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Porto |
| 1 | Manchester City, Celtic, Hamburger SV, Steaua București, Marseille, Borussia Dortmund, Feyenoord, Aston Villa, PSV Eindhoven, Red Star Belgrade |
Most appearances
Real Madrid once again leads the way in terms of appearances by a club. Los Blancos have appeared in the CL in 53 seasons. Benfica is a surprising runner-up with 42 appearances. However, when we look at individual players, it is the usual battle of the GOATs and this is one contest where CR7 leads the way. Cristiano Ronaldo has made 183 appearances, whilst Lionel Messi boasts 163. However, the Argentine is still adding to his tally and time will tell whether Messi can catch his rival.
Most goals
Regarding goals, we see a similar picture: Ronaldo has scored 140 CL goals. This compares to 129 for Messi. No other player is close to those two but Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland may have what it takes to challenge Ronaldo’s record – or Messi’s if he manages to overtake his great rival.
How to Predict and Bet on Champions League Matches?
As probably the world's biggest and most popular football competition, your betting options for the Champions League predictions are incredible. Most UCL betting sites will have 200 or more markets for games in the competition. The very best will see that total stretch to over 700. Consequently, your hardest decision might be which market to plump for.
Popular Betting Markets for the Champions League
There are many popular bets and markets when it comes to the Champions League tips. You can do your own research (see below) or follow the Champions League betting tips and CL predictions of others. However, when it comes to some of the most popular markets, here are a few current stats to help you out. Note that these relate to the 2022/23 season, which is to say, before the quarter-finals.
- Games are averaging 3.06 goals, suggesting over 2.5 goals could be a good bet.
- The highest number of goals are scored between the 46th and 60th minutes (63), and the next-best 15-minute window is the last 15 minutes of each half (with 55 goals scored).
- Betting on the Tournament Winner is a wise decision where the usual favourites always have great odds before the knockout stages.
- Backing the Top Goalscorer from a team expected to reach further stages in the Champions League is also a good strategy.
Predictions
There are several factors to consider to formulate your own successful betting strategies and Champions League predictions. However, below are some of the less obvious ones:
- Team news, including player injuries, suspensions and rotation are crucial for Champions League predictions.
- Domestic games on either side of the fixture could affect team news and energy levels.
- Form of teams and key players within them.
- The first leg's result (when betting on the second).
- Experience of the CL knockout phase with the teams is important for every Champions League tips.
More Champions League Betting Tips
Note that we offer a wide selection of Champions League tips elsewhere on the site.
FAQ
How often are your UCL predictions updated?
We update our Champions League predictions very regularly when games are upcoming.
When are your Champions League Predictions available?
This varies depending on the market, with football tips for specific matches usually available a few days before the game. However, for outright UCL betting tips, you can expect to see them published much earlier.
How to win by Betting in the Champions League?
As with all betting, research, discipline, and knowledge are essential for any football tips. Not to mention that good luck will go a long way too! In addition, our Champions League predictions are a good starting point. You can also use them to back up your own thoughts.
Do bookmakers release Champions League-specific bonuses?
Yes! Many top football bookies regularly have bonuses and free bets betting offers just for the UCL. Moreover, they will have bonuses for the Europa League too.
Where to watch the Champions League?
Hundreds of channels around the globe broadcast the Champions League. In addition, it may also be available to watch or follow in-play via services like the bet365 live betting section.
Which team has won the champions league the most?
Real Madrid has won the most CL titles with 14, which means they are well ahead of Milan (seven).