This season's Champions League group stage was interesting, with the biggest shock being Manchester United finishing at the bottom of their group. That was a major upset in the Champions League, with the odds focused on the group stage.
Sevilla's standing in La Liga also surprisingly slipped out of action, failing to win a single match, while things pretty much went to plan elsewhere. Barcelona, Arsenal, and Inter Milan all got through to the knockout phase.
In the most competitive section, Group F, a closely fought contest was between Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), AC Milan, and Newcastle. A third of the matches in the section ended in a draw, but Borussia Dortmund went on to claim the top spot. PSG just managed to edge out AC Milan in the race for second on the head-to-head record.
Round of 16
Reigning champions Manchester City made a big statement in the Round of 16 with a resounding first-leg victory against FC Copenhagen. The citizens took full advantage of their favourable draw but will know that stronger challenges lie ahead. The Premier League side remains at the head of the Champions League winner odds.
PSG were comfortable winners in their Round of 16 clash with Real Sociedad. Fellow La Liga side Real Madrid, also nicknamed Los Blancos, faced a stern challenge from RB Leipzig, doing just enough to squeeze through to the quarterfinals by a 2-1 aggregate score after a nervy 1-1 second-leg draw.
Bayern Munich shook off some indifferent domestic form as they fought back from losing the first leg of their Round of 16 clash against Lazio. Bayern redeemed themselves on home soil by winning the match 3-0.
Quarter-finals Draw
The first legs of this season's Champions League will be played on April 9th and 10th, with the second legs played the following week on April 16th and 17th.
Betting Favourites
Bayern Munich's long reign at the top of the German Bundesliga looks set to end this season. But they still pose a threat in the Champions League and will be a tricky opponent for anyone who meets them, especially on home turf at the Allianz Arena.
The same can be said of Real Madrid, a team that can never be written out of contention in Champions League winner odds. With some star power in Jude Bellingham and such a tremendous history in the tournament, Los Blancos will be keen to rule the European Champions League once again.
But the outright favourites in the Champions League odds remain Manchester City. They are the clear favourites to make a cup run, and with this season's final at Wembley Stadium in London, it would be a fitting venue for the English club's title defence.
However, Champions League title defences take work to achieve. Only one team has managed a successful defence since 1990, and that's the mighty Real Madrid.
Top Goalscorer
This season, there is a great battle at the top of the Champions League Top Goalscorer charts. Manchester City's goal-scoring machine, Bayern Munich's hotshot Harry Kane, and PSG's Kylian Mbappé are in a three-way tussle at the top of the Champions League odds.
It will all likely be down to which teams can go the furthest in the competition. It will be a tremendous showdown should any of them oppose each other along the way in the draw or, indeed, in the final with the Golden Boot still up for grabs.
Champions League History
The Champions League, as it is known and loved today, was introduced in 1992 after a major rebranding and reformatting of the former European Cup. The European Cup was designed as a tournament between the national champions of European leagues and quickly became one of the most highly coveted titles in football.Only the international tournaments are bigger competitions globally than the Champions League. It's the most prestigious honour that a club can get their hands on. While entry to the competition has widened, it's only for league winners and one or more runners-up from domestic leagues.
It's arguably the toughest domestic club tournament to win because of the quality of competition present each year. In the inaugural season of the European Cup, Spanish giants Real Madrid took the title, and they would win it in each of the following four seasons as well. Real Madrid are the tournament's most successful club ever.
Among other notable winners are English Premier League side Liverpool, as well as Barcelona, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Ajax, and Juventus. Legends of the game like Cristiano Ronaldo, Alfredo Di Stefano, Luka Modric, Andres Iniesta, and Lionel Messi have all won the tournament at least four times. Ronaldo holds the record for the most appearances in the competition with 183. He is also the leading goalscorer of all time, with a staggering 140 goals from those 183 appearances.
How to Bet on Champions League Football at Betsafe
Betsafe experts know what makes a great user interface from first-hand experience. We’ve split our Champions League odds into two main categories: ‘In-Play & Upcoming’ and ‘Outrights’. The default tournament homepage lists all forthcoming and live Champions League betting opportunities with a ‘Select Market’ menu letting you filter via specific betting markets like ‘Match Winner’ or ‘Double Chance’ with ease.Alternatively, click on a specific fixture to move to the in-depth match screen. Betsafe supplies crucial information concerning each team to help you make the most accurate Champions League betting predictions. Choose from several markets like ‘Goals’ or ‘Player Specials’ and enjoy hundreds of different wagers on each match.
Once you’ve picked a selection, press the odds to add them to your bet slip. From here, enter your wager amount and check the potential payout before confirming the wager. Keep an eye on our cash out feature for live betting, as you might be able to cash out a portion of your winnings before a pivotal event like a goal or sending off.
Crucial Champions League Betting Dates
Champions League betting enthusiasts have over 120 games to enjoy during the season, and that’s not even counting the qualifying rounds. As a result, there are countless opportunities to take advantage of our comprehensive Champions League odds and markets. Get the dates below down to avoid missing out on anything:- Group Stages: September 19–December 13, 2023
- Round-of-16: February 13–March 13, 2024
- Quarter-Finals: April 9–April 17, 2024
- Semi-Finals: April 30–May 8, 2024
- Final: June 1, 2024
Champions League Odds
The qualifying and play-off rounds of the 2023–24 Champions League started on June 27 and ended on August 30, 2023. Fifty-two teams, 42 on the Champions Path and ten on the League Path, participated in the 2023–24 Champions League qualifiers. Most bettors rely on the 26 clubs qualified for the group stage for Champions League betting odds, compared to the six play-off round winners.Manchester City took the title for the first time in their history in 2023 and are clear favourites to win it again. With three-time Champions League-winning head coach Pep Guardiola at the helm, the Premier League club has had a perfect score in the group stage.
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have also gotten off to ideal starts. After an impressive win against Paris Saint-Germain in Gameweek 2, Newcastle emerged as another formidable choice. But their latest home loss to Borussia Dortmund has punters questioning.
Spanish giants Real Madrid can never be written out of the Champions League winner odds. The arrival of English wonder-kid Jude Bellingham could bolster their brilliant record in the competition and create a new challenge.
Former champions Bayern Munich are top favourites following Man City, after wins against Copenhagen and Galatasaray in earlier group games. The German club has a well-balanced side and seems to have overtaken the likes of PSG and Barcelona in terms of title-winning potential in the Champions League winner odds.
Champions League Bets
It is worth looking beyond the big outright winner market for the Champions League for more exciting picks. There are many angles to consider for this brilliant club competition, including making selections for group winners, group runners-up, and even picking the teams who won't qualify from their section.Popular Champions League Bets
- Match Winner
- Double Chance
- Over/Under 2.5 Goals
- Half Time/Full Time
- Correct Score
- Half Time Result
- Winning Margin
- Total Corners
The 'Top Goalscorer' market is another massively popular Champions League odds target. While Ronaldo and Messi are no longer in the mix, among the early front-runners to pick up the season's Golden Boot are Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Victor Osimhen and Manchester City's 'Terminator' superstar striker.
Essential Champions League Betting Tips
Betsafe is committed to helping our customers wager on Champions League winner odds with great precision. Use some of the vital tips below to enhance your betting:- Take advantage of the Betsafe 100% up to €100 and €15 in free bets welcome bonus for an instant bankroll injection that can help you get to grips with new betting markets.
- Pick and choose your wagers wisely during the group stages. Expert bettors can find more value in these early fixtures, especially if you combine sensible markets under a bet builder wager. For example, in lopsided fixtures you could bet on the number of goals and cards with greater confidence.
- Budget effectively and never chase your losses. Doing so is one of the first steps towards irresponsible gambling.
Why Bet on the Champions League at Betsafe?
Back your selections with the best Champions League odds at Betsafe. With our exhaustive range of markets and betting options on our user-friendly and engaging platform; follow the best football competition in the world with peace of mind as Betsafe utilises the latest cyber security protocols and adheres to stringent gaming measures through our Malta Gaming Authority licence.Dare to explore the wide range of sports and events offering competitive odds on our user-friendly platform, including betting on premier league football and Serie A odds. So in the spirit of responsible gambling, check out Betsafe’s Champions League sportsbook lobby.
And don’t forget to check our powerful bet builder tool, allowing you to bet on Champions League football with incredible precision and accuracy. Fancy rolling the first goalscorer, overall result, and number of corners into one bet? The Betsafe bet builder lets you do exactly that. Alternatively, head to the ‘Pre-Built’ category on upcoming Champions League odds to find instant tailormade betting combinations created by our passionate experts. Lastly, save the date this June, for our beloved Champions League final on 1st of June and the most exciting football event of this summer - final of Euro 2024 (put your wording allowed in your region) is taking place in Germany. Only once in four years we have a chance to watch and bet for Euro 2024 odds. Betsafe is happy to present all possible odds for matches on the platform.
