The Champions League is the most prestigious tournament in European soccer
Thirty-six teams will enter the league phase of the competition in September
Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are among the favorites
The Champions League is the biggest club competition in soccer. Launched in 1955 as the European Cup, it has been held on an annual basis ever since.
Until 1992, the European Cup was a straight knockout tournament that featured only the champions of domestic leagues. These days most major teams in Europe take part every year.
The Champions League is the pinnacle of the European club game. The World Cup might still have more prestige, but the Champions League is widely considered to be home to the highest-quality soccer on the planet.
Who will win the Champions League 2024/25? Let’s take a look at the main contenders.
The odds for the Champions League winner 2024/25 have been taken from the bet365 Sportsbook. Head over to bet365 to place your bets: $1,000 Safety Net Bet OR $200 in Bonus Bets.
Manchester City are the favorites to win the Champions League 2024/25 with the best soccer betting sites. Pep Guardiola’s side lifted the trophy in 2023 as part of a hugely successful treble-winning campaign, but they were eliminated in the quarter-finals last season. City are now aiming to get back on top in Europe.
Guardiola is probably the best manager in the world and he has a talented squad at his disposal. City play wonderful football and they are strong both offensively and defensively. They drew 0-0 with Inter on matchday one, before beating Slovan Bratislava 2-0 last time out.
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Real Madrid are by some distance the most successful side in the history of the Champions League, having won this tournament 15 times. Their most recent success came just a few months ago, as los Blancos beat Borussia Dortmund in the final in London.
Carlo Ancelotti has won the Champions League more often than any other manager in history. His squad has been bolstered by the arrival of Kylian Mbappe, but Madrid must ensure they strike the right balance between attack and defense. They managed that on matchday one, beating Stuttgart 3-1, but they subsequently lost 1-0 to Lille.
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Arsenal have pushed Manchester City close in the last two seasons in the Premier League title race. Mikel Arteta’s men are now among the most feared sides in Europe, but their recent record in the Champions League is mediocre.
Arsenal did reach the quarter-finals last term, only to lose to Bayern Munich over two legs. They were frustrated in a 0-0 draw with Atalanta on matchday one of 2024/25, but Arsenal were excellent when they beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 in their second continental clash of the campaign.
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Bayern Munich know what it takes to go all the way in the Champions League and they came within a few minutes of reaching the final last season. With the showpiece event in 2025 set to be held at their own stadium, Bayern have additional motivation to go deep.
The Bavarians did not win the Bundesliga title in 2023/24, though, and they are under new management in the form of Vincent Kompany, who is untested at this level. Still, Bayern have a gifted squad that is capable of challenging, although a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa on Wednesday was a setback.
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Barcelona have not fared well in the Champions League in recent years, failing to reach the semi-finals since 2019. But optimism is on the rise at the Camp Nou after Barca’s 100 percent winning record at the beginning of the La Liga season.
New boss Hansi Flick has won the competition before, guiding Bayern Munich to European glory. Barca have plenty of talent in their ranks, but they went down 2-1 to Monaco on matchday one. However, Flick’s side bounced back to thrash Young Boys 5-0 in their second outing.
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Only Real Madrid and AC Milan have won more Champions Leagues than Liverpool, but the exit of Jurgen Klopp at the end of last season was widely mourned at Anfield. Arne Slot is his replacement and he will believe Liverpool have enough talent to challenge for the biggest trophies.
Given the Reds are not expected to challenge for the Premier League title, it is possible that they will prioritise the Champions League. They beat AC Milan 3-1 on matchday one, negotiating a tricky tie on paper with relative ease.
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Real Madrid won the Champions League in 2023/24. They finished top of their group ahead of Napoli, Braga and Union Berlin, before eliminating RB Leipzig, Manchester City and Bayern Munich in the knockouts.
Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the Champions League final. The German outfit finished top of their group, ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle United. They then overcame PSV, Atletico Madrid and PSG to reach the final.
Club | Number of Titles |
---|---|
Real Madrid | 15 |
AC Milan | 7 |
Bayern Munich | 6 |
Liverpool | 6 |
Barcelona | 5 |
Ajax | 4 |
Inter | 3 |
Manchester United | 3 |
Real Madrid are the most successful team in the history of the European Cup/Champions League. The Spanish giants dominated the early years of the competition, triumphing five years on the bounce between 1956 and 1960. They have also lifted the trophy several times in recent seasons.
AC Milan are second on the list with seven successes, followed by Bayern Munich and Liverpool on six apiece.
A total of 22 clubs from 10 countries have won the European Cup/Champions League. England has provided the largest number of individual winners, with six clubs having triumphed, but the might of Real Madrid means Spain has supplied the most victors with 18.
Juventus have finished as runners-up more often than any other team, with seven defeats in the final. Atletico Madrid have reached three finals without ever lifting the trophy.
Nottingham Forest and Porto are the only clubs to have a 100 percent record in the final after competing in more than one of them.
Club | Season |
---|---|
Real Madrid | 2023/24 |
Manchester City | 2022/23 |
Real Madrid | 2021/22 |
Chelsea | 2020/21 |
Bayern Munich | 2019/20 |
Liverpool | 2018/19 |
Real Madrid | 2017/18 |
Real Madrid | 2016/17 |
Real Madrid | 2015/16 |
Barcelona | 2014/15 |
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