Champions League winner odds: 2024/25 predictions and betting tips (Updated)

As a result of signing Mbappe and their cup win in 2024, the gap in the odds between Manchester City and Real Madrid winning the cup this season is far shorter than it was this time last year.

The pack looks to be closing in on Pep and his team.

Manchester City 11/4

The bookmakers’ favourites are Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City team have consistently raised the bar in recent years. Despite this, they’ve only won the Champions League once in this period, with Real Madrid lifting the trophy either side of City’s 2023 victory.

Phil Foden had an exceptional season in 2023/24 and is steadily growing into City’s main playmaker. While in Erling Haaland, City is always guaranteed goals – if nothing else. Those two are going to keep City firing for many years to come.

Elsewhere, Kevin De Bruyne didn’t look his best when he returned from injury in the second half of last season. If he can return to his 2022/23 Champions League level again, City can be a force in Europe this season. If he can’t, it could be another year without the big one for Pep unless Foden can step into the void.

Bet on Manchester City to lift the trophy at 11/4 with talkSPORT BET

Real Madrid 3/1

Despite looking second best to Manchester City, Real Madrid have managed to win the Champions League in two of the previous three seasons.

There seems to be something in their DNA that attracts them to this trophy. And they have a record 15 wins to their name to back up this theory.

Their 2024 Champions League win came the hard way.

Madrid had to produce a backs-to-the-wall display to see off Manchester City in the quarter-final. And they were also given a lifeline by Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer when they seemed to be on their way out of the competition at the semi-final stage.

Even in the final, they could have been two or three down to Borussia Dortmund before they took the lead and went on to complete a 2-0 win over the Germans.

Not content with that, Madrid have added Kylian Mbappe to their ranks for the 2024/25 season.

The Frenchman will bring a new dimension to Madrid’s play, meaning we could see Los Blancos winning the Champions League in a more flamboyant style than we witnessed in their two most recent wins.

Tip Real Madrid to win the Champions League at 3/1 with bet365

Arsenal 17/2

The Gunners surprised nearly everyone in the 2023/24 season by managing to keep on fighting on two fronts in the Premier League and the Champions League.

Ultimately, Mikel Arteta’s team fell short in both competitions in the end.

After qualifying from their Champions League group with relative ease, Arsenal struggled to get past Porto in the Round of 16, and eventually went out to Bayern Munich at the quarter-final stage.

Some may argue they only lost by the odd goal to Munich. But the truth is they never looked like they truly believed they could defeat the legendary German side.

If they are to go further in this year’s competition, the Gunners will need to up their game when they get to the knockout stages.

On a positive note, this Arsenal side is young. So assuming they do get to the latter stages in 2025, they will be a year wiser and better equipped to compete.

Bet on Arsenal to win the Champions League at 17/2 with Paddy Power

Bayern Munich 10/1

It’s quite amazing to see Bayern Munich at such long odds to win the Champions League. But the facts are, this is where Munich now is.

For the first time since 2012, Bayern Munich failed to win their domestic Bundesliga title in 2024. The title was surrendered to Bayer Leverkusen long before Munich suffered defeat in two of their final three games to finish third in the table.

The name of the game in Bavaria this season seems to be rebuilding.

The biggest name arrivals into the club this summer so far are Michael Olise from Crystal Palace and João Palhinha from Fulham. Good signings, yes. But they’re not going to take the club to the next level.

Also looking like an investment for the future is the appointment of Vincent Kompany as the new Bayern head coach. Kompany’s appointment doesn’t scream Champions League contenders.

But on the flip side, no one thought the equally inexperienced Xabi Alonso would have had such an impact at Bayer Leverkusen.

If Kompany can replicate Alonso, then Bayern may be a real threat to win the tournament at 12/1.

Bet on Bayern Munich to win at 10/1 with bet365

Barcelona 10/1

A bit like the situations at Bayern Munich and Liverpool, Barcelona is also starting the 2024/25 season with a new head coach.

After working hard to persuade Xavi to stay on as head coach beyond the end of last season, Barcelona then somewhat surprisingly decided to sack the former playing legend at the end of the campaign.

Coming into the Nou Camp to replace Xavi is Hansi Flick.

The former Bayern Munich manager is also the only person to ever be sacked from the role of Germany head coach. Not a great accolade to have on his CV.

Regardless, after previously working with Robert Lewandowski at Bayern, Flick may be the person to get the best of the former Munich front man.

The Polish striker has a decent record at the Nou Camp. But it’s fair to say he hasn’t hit the heights he achieved at Bayern.

At 35 years of age, Lewandowski’s best days could well be behind him. But if Flick can get one more good year out of him, it could be enough to see Barcelona make the latter stages of the Champions League.

Bet on Barcelona to win the Champions League at 10/1 with Sky Bet

Liverpool 12/1

Liverpool are another team who could be classed as one in transition.

But where they have a head start on the likes of Bayern is that they are already well into their process of the changing of the guard.

The likes of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are now long gone, replaced by Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez, who already have 12 and 24 months experience at Anfield.

The newer players alongside stalwarts like Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah, mean Liverpool have a team to be feared.

But the one big area of doubt that exists at Anfield is in the dugout.

After the departure of Jurgen Klopp, it still remains to be seen how new head coach Arne Slot settles in.

If Slot can hit the ground running, Liverpool have the players to challenge for the Champions League. If he struggles, it could be a long season for the Reds.

Tip Liverpool to win at 12/1 with Betfred

Paris Saint-Germain 20/1

PSG’s Galactico project officially came to an end when Kylian Mbappe departed for Real Madrid in the summer.

In truth, the project had been dead for years. But when Mbappe departed, it was the final symbolic act of what has been a massive failure.

Ex-Spain international manager Luis Enrique has been tasked with replacing Neymar, Messi and co with an actual functioning team.

Last season he managed to get his new team to the last four of the Champions League. So there is something to build on.

But Enrique’s task won’t be made any easier in the 2024/25 campaign by Mbappe’s departure.

Not all is lost here, though. Barring a disaster, Ligue 1 is a formality, with or without Mbappe. This gives Enrique an advantage over other head coaches who have to juggle their resources between their domestic leagues and Europe.

With one or two good signings, PSG could have the makings of a good team that is well-equipped to again go deep into the competition in 2024/25.

Bet on PSG to win the Champions League at 20/1 with Paddy Power

Atletico Madrid 20/1

Atletico Madrid are one of those teams that are never really given a chance of lifting Europe’s elite trophy at the start of every season.

Despite this, Atletico are one of those teams that no one in Europe wants to face as they are so hard to beat.

Furthermore, under the leadership of the charismatic Argentine, Diego Simone, Atletico reached the final of the Champions League in both 2014 and 2016.

Simeone has also led Atletico to the semi-final once, and the quarter-final four times. His most recent forays in the last eight came in the 2021/22 and 2023/24 seasons.

Write them off at your peril.

Unfortunately, the facts are, they don’t get over the line. There is no win on their honours board.

Atletico also have a tough domestic league, competing against neighbours Real, as well as Barcelona. That’s a job on its own.

But at 33/1, and with Simone in charge, the Colchoneros are a good each-way bet.

Bet on Atletico Madrid to win at 20/1 with BetUK

Bayer Leverkusen 20/1

What a season Bayer Leverkusen had in 2023/24.

Under the leadership of Xabi Alonso, Bayer came within one match of completing the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Europa League treble.

The only match they lost all season was the Europa League final to Atalanta.

Domestically, they completed the double – a feat only usually achieved by the great Bayern Munich.

Arguably the club’s greatest achievement was convincing Alonso to remain in charge.

Especially with Bayern Munich and Liverpool sniffing around.

But what chance do Bayer and Alonso have of replicating this all again in 2024/25?

None, is probably the answer.

Holding onto their star names will be difficult as the closure of the summer transfer window draws closer.

Jonathan Tah has already had his head turned by Munich. And he almost certainly won’t be the only one.

I can see Bayer competing in the Bundesliga. But when we get to the knockout stage of the Champions League in 2025 they will be underdogs and the chances are they will fall short.

Unless that is, Alonso can continue to conjure up his magic. Odds of 25/1 feel about right.

Bet on Bayer Leverkusen to win the tournament at 20/1 at bet365

Inter Milan 20/1

Under the guidance of Simone Inzaghi, Internazionale coasted to the Serie A title in the 2023/24 season.

A lot of their success was down to the goals of Lautaro Martínez (24) and Marcus Thuram (13). Keeping hold of that strike pairing will be vital if Inter want to retain their league title.

In the 2023/24 Champions League, Inter were within minutes of reaching the last eight, until Memphis Depay levelled the tie on aggregate at the Metropolitano Stadium.

They eventually went out on penalties to the Spaniards.

The loss was a sickening defeat. When Federico Dimarco put them 1-0 ahead after 33 minutes of the second leg, Inter were 2-0 up on aggregate and coasting to the Champions League quarter-final.

To lose from there must have been devastating.

Inter are no mugs in Europe. They made the final in 2023, pushing Manchester City all the way at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, before eventually going down to a late second-half Rodri goal.

The Serie A winners have potential to cause an upset again this season. And at 20/1, the Italians could be a good dark horse bet again in 2025.

Bet on Inter Milan to win at 20/1 with talkSPORT BET

Champions League new format explained

The new format that’s going to be used for the Champions League in the 2024/25 season might take a bit of getting used to.

The first part is the easy bit to explain – the expansion of the competition to 36 teams.

Previously, 32 teams qualified for the group stages. The teams were broken down into eight groups of four, with the top two from each group qualifying for the knockout stages.

The expansion of the competition for 2024/25, sees 36 teams qualifying for the group stage. This is where the fun starts and a degree in quantum physics is required.

Sixteen of the 36 teams in the group stage will be national champions. The other 20 are made up of teams who either qualified via league positions from countries with a high UEFA coefficient or teams who won through the preliminary knockout rounds.

The 36 teams will play in one league where they will all compete against each other

Each team will play eight different teams once in the league

Four matches will be at home and four will be away

The draw to determine who plays who will be held on the 29th August

The top eight in the 36 team group will automatically qualify for the Round of 16. At this stage the competition becomes knockout

The teams ranked 9th to 24th will play off for the remaining eight Round of 16 places in a first phase knockout

The teams who finished 9th to 16th will be seeded. They will be drawn to play against the teams who finished 17th to 24th in a home and away two-legged playoff.

After the playoffs to get into the Round of 16, the competition will continue in it’s traditional knockout format

The changes to the tournament structure will no doubt draw criticism.

Traditionalists may see it as a poor way for UEFA to expand the competition by four clubs, claiming it undermines the integrity of the tournament by ending the home and away group fixtures.

But in fairness to UEFA, they are under constant pressure from Europe’s elite clubs, with breakaway threats a real prospect.

The governing body has to find ways to try and appease the big clubs, and this looks like their latest attempt.

The big clubs will now play eight matches in the group stage as opposed to six, resulting in more revenue. Will this extra revenue appease them?

But on the flip side, will fans and sponsors take to the new format?

Only time will tell if the new Champions League format is a success or not.

Champions League predictions

With the main draw not having taken place yet, there is no betting on teams to reach certain stages of the competition.

The draw is scheduled to take place towards the end of August, so check back for more updated odds on who will make it to what round.

Qualifications predictions

The third qualifying round sees Rangers, LOSC, Slavia Paha, Union Saint-Gilloise, FC Twente, and RB Salzburg enter the competition. They will play off against the sides that have managed to negotiate their way through rounds one and two.

The final playoff matches are huge events for teams like Rangers and FC Twente, whose whole seasons can be influenced by the outcome of these games.

Falling at this hurdle is a huge blow before their own domestic seasons have even started.

League phase predictions

With each team playing eight matches in the group stage, it’s hard to imagine the majority of the big clubs won’t at the very least make it through to the knockout stage to get into the Round of 16.

Knockout play-offs predictions

The teams who finish just outside the top eight and go into the playoffs as seeds could include Aston Villa, Bayer Leverkusen, last year’s losing finalists Borussia Dortmund and European first timers, Girona of Spain.

Round of 16 predictions

We would expect to see teams like Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG, Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona comfortably finish inside the top eight and qualify for the Round of 16.

At this stage of the competition, they should start their matches as favourites to beat the sides that qualify through the knockout playoffs.

Quarterfinals predictions

The stakes are getting very high when the competition gets to the last eight. At this stage there will be no easy matches for any team still left in the competition.

Semi-finals predictions

Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and PSG all made it to this stage last season. If the draw allows, Madrid and Munich would at the very least expect to get to this stage of the competition, as would Manchester City.

Final predictions

Recent finalists include Real Madrid, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and Liverpool.

It’s rare for an outsider like Dortmund to make it to the final.

The Germans are 33/1 to win the Champions League in 2025, with Inter Milan – the 2023 losing finalists – at 25/1. An each-way wager at those sort of odds on some of the outsiders could be worth considering.

2023/24 Champions League winner

Real Madrid won the 2023/24 Champions League final. Los Blancos defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final at Wembley, winning the trophy for a record 15th time.

Madrid are arguably a stronger team this season after adding Kylian Mbappe to their impressive squad of players.

A lot will argue that Madrid were very lucky to get past Manchester City in the quarter-finals. Pep’s City team looked the strongest side in the competition.

On the night Madrid knocked the then-defending champions out, City enjoyed 68% possession and had 33 attempts on goal. Madrid had eight attempts. It was one-way traffic, and City wins that match more often than not.

Don’t be surprised to see City bounce back and reach the final again this season. As for Madrid, it would be madness to write them off with their record in this competition.

Teams with the most Championship League trophies

The most successful team in the history of the Champions League is Real Madrid.

The Spanish club has won the competition an extraordinary 15 times, including six of the last eleven finals.

AC Milan of Italy has won the trophy seven times. Three of their wins came in the late 1980s and early 1990s when the Milanese were arguably the best side in Europe. Two more wins came in the 2000s.

Bayern Munich and Liverpool both have six wins. The two giants of Europe both look better equipped than Milan currently do to win the trophy again.

Real Madrid – 15 (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024)

AC Milan – 7 (1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007)

Bayern Munich – 6 (1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020)

Liverpool – 6 (1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005, 2019)

Barcelona – 5 (1992, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015)

Ajax – 4 (1971, 1972, 1973, 1995)

Inter Milan – 3 (1964, 1965, 2010)

Manchester United – 3 (1968, 1999, 2008)

Juventus – 2 (1985, 1996)

Benfica – 2 (1961, 1962)

Chelsea – 2 (2012, 2021)

Nottingham Forest – 2 (1979, 1980)

Porto – 2 (1987, 2004)

FAQ about the 2024/25 Champions League

We’ve tried to cover as much as possible in our Champions League 2024/25 article. However, we have also added a helpful FAQ section which will be regularly updated with more information as the season progresses.

1. How much money will be distributed to participants of the 2024/25 Champions League?

The 36 teams taking part in the 2024/25 Champions League group stage will earn a minimum of £17.4 million. Furthermore, for every win in the league phase, a team will receive a bonus of £1.8 million, and for every draw the reward is £600,000. No cash bonus is awarded for defeats.

2. What does UEFA expect to accomplish with new formats for Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League?

UEFA’s aim looks to be to appease Europe’s biggest clubs who are continually threatening to break away and create their own Super League competition. In changing the format, all the big clubs now have two extra games every season. UEFA hope this will keep Europe’s elite clubs happy.

3. How many teams are going to play in the Champions League?

The Champions League group stage will have 36 teams playing in it. If you include all the sides that are involved in the preliminary rounds, a total of 81 teams will be taking part in the 2024/25 Champions League.

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

Establishes time and monetary limits before playing

Only gambles with money they can afford to lose

Never chase their losses

Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed

Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk

GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.

Champions League winner odds: 2024/25 predictions and betting tips (Updated)

Featured Champions League offer

Latest Champions League winner odds