Champions League (UEFA) Picks & Predictions
UEFA Champions League Overview and Picks
The UEFA Champions League is one of the most-watched sporting events throughout the year. This competition brings together the elite of European football every season, and many bettors take advantage of it to place their predictions!
Organized by UEFA, this tournament allows fans to follow the biggest clubs in the world, and even learn more about less popular teams that have performed well in their domestic leagues. The new format introduced last year will be retained for this season, and all related information can be found on this page.
From the early qualifying rounds to the final scheduled for May 30, 2026, in Budapest, here are our Champions League predictions. We share our favorites to win the title, our thoughts on the teams likely to qualify for the knockout stages or the playoffs, and also our pick for the top scorer of the competition. Enjoy the read!
Our Free Champions League Prediction for the 2025 - 2026 Season: Who to bet on?
This year marks only the second edition of UEFA’s new Champions League format. Last season, this new setup benefited Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain, who won the club’s first-ever Champions League title after an exceptional second half of the season!
For the 2025-2026 edition, the heavyweights will be back again. Manchester City, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Liverpool, PSG, Bayern Munich... All major European clubs are determined to go all the way. Right now, with qualifiers and club schedules still unknown, it’s tough to make a reliable prediction on the next Champions League winner.
That said, one of the teams mentioned above will likely take the crown, with a slight edge going to the defending champion or the most successful club in the competition’s history, Real Madrid, with 15 titles. If you don’t want to wait to place your bet on the future winner, we recommend wagering on one of these two clubs.
Our 2025-26 UCL Winner Prediction: PSG or Real Madrid!
2025-26 UCL Winner Futures
- Liverpool +600
- Barcelona +650
- Real Madrid +700
- Paris St-G +750
- Arsenal +750
- Man City +900
- Bayern Munich +1000
- Chelsea +1800
- Newcastle +2300
- Inter +2500
- Atletico Madrid +2900
- Napoli +2900
- Juventus +4500
- Tottenham +4500
- Leverkusen +5500
- Dortmund +5500
- Atalanta +7000
- Athletic Club +9000
- Marseille +11000
- Villarreal +11000
- Eintracht Frankfurt +11000
- Monaco +11000
- Benfica +15000
- Sporting +15000
- PSV +15000
Odds taken from fanduel.com.
Our Predictions for the Champions League Regular Season
The old format with multiple groups is over. Since last year, the tournament features a single group stage, which can also be called the regular season or league phase.
As additional information, here are the scheduled dates for the matches in the first phase of the competition:
- Matchday 1 September 16, 17, and 18, 2025
- Matchday 2 September 30 and October 1, 2025
- Matchday 3 October 21 and 22, 2025
- Matchday 4 November 4 and 5, 2025
- Matchday 5 November 25 and 26, 2025
- Matchday 6 December 9 and 10, 2025
- Matchday 7 January 20 and 21, 2026
- Matchday 8 January 28, 2026
Now, let’s look at the single group composition and our predictions for who will qualify! Below are our predictions made before the competition kicked off, highlighting the top 8 teams who qualify directly for the Round of 16, and the following 16 teams who qualify for the playoffs (Round of 32).
Our Prediction for the Teams Qualifying for the Champions League Round of 16 (Top 8 Spots)
This was a very tough exercise to make right from the first phase. We saw it clearly last year, with many surprises — clubs like Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Juventus, and Dortmund had to go through the playoffs!
Before the kickoff of the 2025-2026 edition, some clubs still seem very capable of finishing in the top 8 spots, especially our two favorites, Real Madrid and PSG. These are the two teams we have little doubt about, given the quality in their squads. We don’t see them failing for a second consecutive year.
Next, we lean toward four Premier League clubs qualifying directly: Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool. We also expect Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona to join the Round of 16 directly. However, beware of teams like Napoli, Dortmund, Atlético Madrid, Inter, Juventus, and Atalanta...
To recap our Champions League prediction for the qualifiers: Real Madrid, PSG, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and FC Barcelona to reach the Round of 16!
Our Prediction for the Teams Qualifying for the Champions League Playoffs (9th to 24th Place)
Here’s an even tougher exercise on paper! After selecting 8 teams that, in our opinion, will be in the top 8 and qualify directly for the Round of 16, there are 24 teams left competing for the playoffs (similar to a Round of 32).
We then need to predict the 16 teams that will have the opportunity to continue in the competition after the single group stage. It’s still hard to say, but here is the list of clubs we see, as of July 2025, joining the playoffs: Monaco, Marseille, Atlético Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Newcastle, Tottenham, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt, Napoli, Inter Milan, Juventus, Atalanta Bergamo, Benfica, Sporting, and PSV Eindhoven.
Prediction for the Top Scorer in the Champions League?
Also very popular with bettors, the “Top Scorer of the Champions League” bet type can offer great opportunities thanks to the attractive odds bookmakers offer on the future leading goal scorer. When betting on the top scorer of the Champions League, several factors should be taken into account.
Recent performances, a player’s ability to score goals, the schedule and opponents, and the club’s ambitions, all of these can influence a player’s chances of finishing as the competition’s top scorer.
Before the season kicks off, we give an edge to Kylian Mbappé, who has been consistently finding the back of the net in recent years and finished last season in great form with Real Madrid, a dominant club in the competition and one accustomed to going deep (meaning playing many matches).
Here is the list of players who, according to us at the start of the season, are ones to watch and could be strong contenders for this individual trophy:
- Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
- Robert Lewandowski (FC Barcelona)
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
- Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)
- Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
- Vinicius (Real Madrid)
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Sports betting beginners - how does the new Champions League work (new format 2025-2026)?
The Champions League is the finest of all European soccer competitions. Each season, the competition sees the best teams in Europe go head-to-head, having earned their tickets thanks to their respective results on the domestic scene.
In France, for example, thanks to the new format, the Ligue 1 champion, the runner-up and the third-placed team all take part, with the fourth-placed club, like Lille this season, going through the play-off rounds to secure its precious ticket.
The way the single pool works is simple: 36 participants, the top 8 are in the last 16, the next 16 (9th to 24th place) qualify for the playoffs (round of 16) and those behind (25th to 36th place) are eliminated from all European competitions. We explain everything in this video.
Unlike in the past, there is no longer any knockdown to the Europa League, so the bottom 12 will have to wait until the following year before they can taste European soccer again. In this new format, following the play-offs to determine the last 8 teams, there will be a knockout phase, with home-and-away matches, the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals, culminating in the final to crown the European champion.
- First Qualifying Round (July 8–16)
- Second Qualifying Round (July 22–30)
- Third Qualifying Round (August 5–12)
- Playoffs (August 19–27)
- Draw for the matchups: August 28
- League Phase with 8 matches for each of the 36 clubs total (September 16 – January 28)
- Top 8 teams qualify directly for the Round of 16
- Next 16 teams qualify for the playoffs (Round of 32)
- Bottom 12 teams are eliminated from all European competitions (no drop-down to Europa League)
- Draw for the playoffs: January 30
- Playoffs (two legs on February 17, 18, 24, and 25, 2026)
- Draw for the final phase: February 27
- Two-legged knockout matches (March 10 – May 6)
- Final (single match) in Budapest on May 30, 2026
Last year, it was Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain who was crowned Champions League winner, achieving a historic milestone by capturing the club’s first-ever Champions League title, a trophy that has been the dream of supporters and management alike since Qatar took over the club in 2011. Who will succeed Ousmane Dembélé and his teammates? Time for your predictions!
Tips for Betting on the Champions League
In order to place Champions League bets, it is essential that you pay attention to certain details. Here are our top tips to keep in mind before placing a bet on the UEFA Champions League:
- Analyze the form of the Champions League teams.
- Be aware of injured and suspended players for the UCL.
- Take into account the real interest of the Champions League match.
- Check the history of meetings between the two opposing teams.
- Compare the odds or odds of the Champions League before placing your bets.
If you take each of these factors into account when making your predictions for a Champions League match, you will be able to form an accurate opinion on the outcome. Read on to learn more about each of these tips.
UEFA Champions League clubs' form analysis
The most important step in your analysis of a Champions League match is to analyze the form of the teams, and especially that of the key players on the pitch. For example, last year with Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius could single-handedly lead their team to victory in the competition. If they are in good form, you'll understand that a "Real Madrid win" bet will be more reliable than if the team's two most decisive players are absent.
And the same reasoning should be applied to stars like Mbappé, Haaland, Musiala and company. It's all important. So always pay attention to the players' form before betting, as the unavailability of a key player can have a significant impact on the outcome of a Champions League match.
Keeping an eye on injured and suspended players for the Champions League is essential
In the same vein, keeping an eye on injured and suspended players will also be important when making predictions and betting on a Champions League match. If a major player (e.g. Ødegaard or Saka for Arsenal) is unavailable for a match against a major opponent, this could weigh on the final result of a match, whatever the stage of the competition.
This factor will be very important this year, with two more matches for each club in the single pool, and an even greater number of overall matches in the year. Injuries could then be a little more significant...
Taking into account the real importance of the match to make predictions
Now, of course, the real interest of the match must be taken into account. For example, if a favorite team has already qualified for the round of 16 in the group stage of the Champions League and its opponent, who is not a favorite, is playing for qualification, it may be more interesting to bet on the latter club, which is more attractive than the former, which may have to rotate its squad.
The same logic applies to the knockout phase. If a team has beaten its opponent 4-0 in the first leg, avoid betting on its victory in the second leg. This is a constant in all soccer competitions. And we saw it again in the last edition with Inter Milan, who beat Benfica 2-0 in the round of 16 before settling for a 3-3 draw in the second leg. Whatever the stage of the competition, one should never make the mistake of ignoring "the real stakes" in a Champions League match. With this in mind, there are good opportunities, but also pitfalls to avoid.
View the match history between the two rival teams
To further improve your analysis for predicting the outcome of a Champions League match, we recommend that you consider how recent head-to-head meetings between the teams you are about to meet have gone. In particular, some teams are especially effective against certain opponents and may have an advantage over them, even if they play at a similar level 'in theory'. In sports like soccer, the psychological factor is important, and a team that has lost all its head-to-head matches against its opponent will find it difficult to perform against them in future matches. Also whether you are playing as a home or away team can influence this evoked element.
This factor is even more relevant if the matches are played in the same year. For example, in 2023, Inter Milan won both of their head-to-heads against AC Milan. As expected, Inter emerged victorious in the Champions League semi-final double-header against the Rossoneri, winning both home and away. This detail can make all the difference when making a Champions League prediction.
Compare the odds of Champions League matches before placing your bets
Finally, you should compare Champions League odds before placing your bets on the competition or when choosing a betting market. As you know, sportsbooks often offer different odds for similar bets. To ensure you get the best potential winnings, it will be important that you register with several sportsbooks to take advantage of the odds at the best sportsbooks of your choice.
In a normal Champions League match, for example, FanDuel may offer odds of +150 for Manchester City to beat Real Madrid, while DraftKings will offer odds at a price of +165. In the long run, your winnings in the competition will be affected, so don't underestimate this aspect.
Taking into account the odds factor and the information explained above will help you win your Champions League predictions, from the group stage, through the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and the final. You will be able to make more informed predictions and optimize your chances of success in the Champions League matches today.
What Not to Do for Your Champions League Picks
Now that you know the good habits you should adopt to succeed in your Champions League predictions, let's talk about the mistakes you should not make, as they will help you avoid losing money unnecessarily. Therefore, avoid these actions at all costs:
- Don't bet without considering the value of the odds.
- Do not bet on your favorite team blindly.
- Do not bet without previously analyzing the match.
- Do not try to compensate the loss of a bet in the Champions League.
- Do not bet on high odds for no reason.
- Do not bet on matches with nothing at stake in the group stage of the Champions League.
- Do not bet an amount you are not willing to lose.
- Do not bet live under emotional pressure.
Try to avoid repeating these habits when betting on the Champions League 2025-2026, as they will surely put you at risk. These tips also apply to other sporting events.
Keep these tips in mind to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Champions League: The stats you need to know
To increase your chances of success with your Champions League 2025-2026 predictions, it's essential to take into account the tournament's key statistics and figures.
Key stats from last season's edition (including 279 matches from the qualifiers and main rounds):
- Home wins: 50%
- Draws: 26%
- Away wins: 34%
- Average goals per match: 3.17
- Over 0.5 goals: 95%
- Under 0.5 goals: 5%
- Over 1.5 goals: 78%
- Under 1.5 goals: 22%
- Over 2.5 goals: 61%
- Under 2.5 goals: 39%
- Over 3.5 goals: 39%
- Under 3.5 goals: 61%
- Over 4.5 goals: 24%
- Under 4.5 goals: 76%
- Highest scoring quarter: 76-90 minutes (22% of goals)
- Percentage of goals scored in the first half: 45%
- Percentage of goals scored in the second half: 55%
- Average goals scored by home team: 1.78
- Average goals scored by away team: 1.39
- Both teams to score (BTTS – Yes): 52%
- Average shots per match: 23.64
- Wins by 2+ goal margin (handicap): 46.3% of matches
- Exact score 0-0: 5% of matches
- Exact score 1-1: 7.5% of matches
- Most common final score: 1-0 or 0-1 (16.8% of matches)
Looking at these stats, certain bet types stand out as good options for the upcoming Champions League season. Handicap bets are especially promising since nearly half of last season’s matches ended with a two-goal margin or more, and odds for these bets tend to be attractive.
Also, away teams averaged a solid goal count, making “away team to score” or “over goals by away team” an interesting angle depending on the matchup.
For variety, you might also consider bets like “Over 1.5 goals,” “Over 2.5 goals,” and even “Over 3.5 goals,” all of which frequently hit last season.
For those chasing bigger odds, exact score bets of 1-0 or 0-1 are worth a look, they occurred 47 times last season and usually offer odds above +400, which can be quite lucrative.
Keep these stats in mind to sharpen your betting strategy for the Champions League 2025-2026!
In Short: How to predict the Champions League matches?
Thanks to the information you've been given on this page, you're now ready to make your predictions for the Champions League 2025-20256.
Don't forget to study each match in-depth, based on the key statistics, and follow the best practices recommended by our experts.
Of course, you can also take the easy way out and benefit from the many free Champions League predictions offered by our specialists. 100% free of charge, they will enable you to place reliable bets without having to worry. Good luck to you!
Our Champions League Predictions of the Moment
There are no previews at the moment for this competition
Top UEFA Champions League Odds
Odds are not yet available for this competition.
