The Champions League is the biggest club competition in football, as Real Madrid, Barcelona and the rest of Europe’s heavyweights fight for the trophy. BettingTop10 has predictions for all the big games.
Who will win the Champions League? Can Real Madrid retain the Champions League, or will Premier League winners Manchester City take a first European crown? BettingTop10 has the Champions League winner odds.
Manchester City Domestic dominance is all but complete but now Manchester City must take Europe by storm to complete the ultimate transformation. A Champions semi-final berth has been the Citizens’ best return on Europe’s grandest stage achieved in 2015-16 but the time is now ripe to take the next step up the ladder, especially having been taught something of a lesson by Liverpool in last seasons quarter-final. Manager Pep Guardiola will not allow a repeat of that 5-1 aggregate defeat to the Reds and once again the likes of Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus look in dominant form. While the addition of Riyad Mahrez has propelled the blue half of Manchester to the top of the Champions League betting markets.
Barcelona Always one of the favourites for the Champions League, Catalan giants Barcelona have had to endure three years of arch rivals Real Madrid winning the biggest trophy in European football and will be hoping that they are the ones to bring that run to an end. Much of the lauded Pep Guardiola side have now moved on or retired but Lionel Messi is still the main man in a team full of talent. A tough group draw will test them – but it is highly unlikely that they will not progress to the knockout rounds where no other club will want to face them.
Real Madrid The most successful club in the history of the European Cup and Champions League, Real Madrid have won the competition 13 times and four out of the last five. They regularly spend huge amounts of money to bring the very best players to the club but will be without Cristiano Ronaldo this season after his summer move to Juventus. New head coach Julen Lopetegui still has the likes of Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric at his disposal however and Los Blancos were still one of the pre-tournament favourites. They beat Liverpool convincingly in last year’s final.
Liverpool Liverpool nearly went all the way last season and were only kept from a sixth European Cup title by the might of Real Madrid. A big reason the Reds were so successful last season was the attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino. The three have started brightly in this campaign and are now bolstered by a much stronger and dependable defensive unit as well. Much of the credit can be given to manager Jürgen Klopp, whose tactics and skill in identifying key players have returned the club to a position of power in English and European football.
Paris Saint-Germain Far and away the biggest club in France, Paris Saint-Germain’s players and fans will know that it means little until they are successful on the European stage. One Cup Winners Cup and an Intertoto triumph on their honours list is not nearly good enough and PSG’s wealthy owners have bought the cream of world football in a quest for success – Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Edinson Cavani lead the line with able back up from the likes of Angel Di Maria. They face tough group opponents in Napoli and Liverpool this year and not qualifying for the knockout stages is unthinkable.
Bayern Munich Domestically, German giants Bayern Munich are untouchable, having won the last six Bundesliga titles in a row. Even on the European stage, Bayern are regarded as one of the top three super-powers of elite football and often perceived only behind Real Madrid and Barcelona. The Germans has won the European Cup five times, most recently in 2012-13, but new manager Niko Kovač knows his side are under pressure to repeat past successes once again. Drawn against Benfica, AEK Athens, and Ajax should pose few issues for Robert Lewandowski and co with the expectation of the last four firmly on Bayern’s shoulders.
Juventus The addition of Cristiano Ronaldo only goes to strengthen the Old Lady’s claim for a third European Cup/Champions League. Massimiliano Allegri is one of Europe’s longer serving coaches having been in charge of Juve since July 2014 and is looking to secure his fifth straight Serie A and Coppa Italia double. Juventus have twice been runners-up in the Champions League under Allegri (2015 and 2017) but now with Ronaldo in the side, is arguably their best chance of ending their 22-year dry patch. Manchester United, Valencia and Young Boys will prove a stern test in the group stages but expect Juventus to go through with the expectation of making at least the semi-finals.
Atletico Madrid Always the bridesmaid and never the bride is the perception of Atletico Madrid when it comes to the Champions League. Three times Los Rojiblancos have finished runner-up in Europe’s premier club contest and two of those have been in the last five years. Since taking over the reigns in 2011, manager Diego Simeone has performed miracles having won La Liga once, the Copa Del Rey once and the Champions League’s younger brother, the Europa League, twice. The only thing missing is the Champions League and after a smart summer of recruitment of Thomas Lemar, Nikola Kalinic, and Gelson Martins, the prediction is that there has never been a better time for Atleti to reach the very top of Europe.
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham’s trajectory over the last few years has certainly been on the up and many see no reason why that should stop. However, the Lilywhites record in Europe’s elite competition is less than impressive aside from reaching the quarter-finals during the 2010-11 season. Since then, Tottenham has only made it out of the group stage once and manager Mauricio Pochettino knows that the pressure is on to improve. Drawn against Inter, Barcelona, and PSV Eindhoven, getting out of the group will be no easy task, but with the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, Spurs need to be targeting progression.
Manchester United Drawn with Juventus, Valencia and Young Boys, Manchester United will be hoping to qualify for the Champions League knock out stage and look to the skill and talent of Paul Pogba to lead that charge. Not as feared as they once were in the Premier League, United still carry some weight in European competition with their dramatic late winning goals against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final a particular high point. They should be able to progress form Group H but it will depend on a favourable draw if they are to progress much further than the round of 16.
The Champions League is European football’s primary cup competition and the world’s most prestigious club tournament. The knockout competition was formed originally in 1955 as the European Cup and was rebranded to its current format in 1992. Competition Format There are 32 clubs involved across eight groups in the First Round while from the start of the qualification rounds in July until the June final, there are a total of 81 participants in the competition, some with better Champions League betting odds than others. Most Successful Teams The competition’s most successful club are Real Madrid, who will once again be in the Champions League betting for this season after winning last year’s competition. Indeed, Los Blancos have won each of the last three competitions in a record-breaking run and have lifted the trophy a remarkable 13 times in total. Also involved in the Champions League betting this time round will be Atletico Madrid – the current holders of the Europa League who have reached two finals of the main competition in the past four years. Indeed, the only side who have eliminated Diego Simeone’s men in the knockout stages of the competition in the past four seasons have been their illustrious city neighbours. The Champions League winner odds market may be particularly busy this season with a variety of massive clubs involved having once again strengthened in recent times. Spanish clubs have lifted the competition in each of the last five seasons and the capital city duo will be joined by 2015 winners Barcelona and the returning Valencia in the Champions League predictions for the 2018/19 campaign. Barca have won seven of the last eight major domestic trophies on offer but have failed to reach the semi-final of the Champions League in each of their past three attempts. However, they will be a prominent feature in the Champions League betting markets especially after their summer business which saw them land players such as Arturo Vidal, Clement Lenglet, Artur Melo and Malcom. There also looks set to be a strong challenge in the Champions League odds from the UK, with Manchester giants United and City both involved this season and hoping to make their mark in the competition. City fell at last season’s quarter-final stage to Liverpool, and last season’s beaten finalists are back in the tournament for the second consecutive season. Can the Reds go one step further than last season? Tottenham are also back in the Champions League betting frame for the third successive year and despite a last 16 exit last time round, secured some stunning group stage victories over Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. Lucien Favre’s Dortmund are back in the competition this season and are one of four German clubs to enter at the group stages alongside 2011 Champions League semi-finalists Schalke and upstars Hoffenheim, with the usual suspects Bayern Munich once again in the mix for Champions League betting. Bayern have fallen to eventual winners Real Madrid in each of the competition’s last two seasons and are now under the guidance of Niko Kovac. With seasoned regulars Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Mats Hummels, Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller in their ranks, they look set to be involved at the latter stages of the competition once more. Perhaps more than any other side, Juventus will be favoured in the Champions League odds this time out following the remarkable signing of Cristiano Ronaldo this summer. The Portuguese superstar has already won the competition five times and thrived once more in last season’s quarter-final tie between the Old Lady and Madrid, netting three goals including an iconic overhead kick. The Bianconeri have not landed Europe’s premier competition this century despite lifting each of the last seven Serie A crowns. Italian football is looking stronger than ever and Juve will be joined by three of their primary rivals in the group stages. Napoli will once again feature in the Champions League predictions, now under the guidance of multiple Champions League winning boss Carlo Ancelotti. The last Italian side to lift the trophy – going all the way back to 2010, then under Jose Mourinho – Inter return to the competition for the first time since 2012. They are joined by Roma, also starting off in the groups, after last season’s incredible run to the semi-finals – their first appearance at that stage in over three decades. Perennial underachievers in the Champions League betting stakes Paris Saint-Germain are hoping that this is the year they match their lofty expectations. Led by Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, they now have Thomas Tuchel as their boss and nothing less than success on the European stage will meet their high demands. 2017 semi-finalists Monaco are once again back in the frame and are joined by Lyon, who were regulars in the knockout stages not so long ago. Other clubs A number of other clubs will be in the mix in the Champions League odds market with seven other clubs guaranteed a starting spot in the competition’s group stages. After this summer’s successful World Cup, Russian clubs will be hoping to build on the success of their international team. Moscow-based duo Lokomotiv and CSKA are both in the mix while city rivals Spartak must progress through the qualification stages, and all are worth checking out on BettingTop 10’s odds for the competition. Other sides worth keeping an eye on are those who regularly aim to reach a minimum of the February knockout stages in European competition. Portuguese giants FC Porto are intimidating opponents for any side but Benfica must make do with a place in the qualification stages, while Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donestk are involved in this season’s Champions League odds mix-up alongside a return for Turkish giants Galatasaray. Their fierce Istanbul rivals Fenerbahce must progress through the qualification stages. Belgian clubs are growing stronger in European competition with reigning champions Club Brugge guaranteed a group stage spot in this season’s competition and Standard Liege in qualification. Elsewhere, Czech club Viktoria Plzen are in the groups while Slavia Prague may progress through to that stage, but much further would really upend the Champions League predictions. Other clubs with aspiration of making the group stages are regulars Glasgow Celtic, who have a hegemony in the Scottish game, while other heavyweight club such as PSV Eindhoven, Dynamo Kiev and Ajax all holding similar aspirations. Other sides worth keeping an eye on in terms of Champions League odds include Greek champions AEK Athens and dominant Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb. Once all the qualifiers are determined in August, the 32 clubs will be drawn into eight groups of four teams each. Fixtures will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings between September and December, with the top two teams from each group advancing into the last 16, when group winners will be drawn against group runners-up. In theory, winning the group and facing a runner-up gives the group winner an advantage, but the Champions League predictions don’t always go to plan. Teams from the same nation cannot play each other until the quarter-final stage. The eight teams who finish third in their groups will drop down into the Europa League while those who finish bottom of the groups will drop out of Europe altogether. This season’s final will be held at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium in the Spanish capital of Madrid – home of Atletico – on 1 June, and there are plenty of Champions League predictions for the hosts to be among the finalists.
