The Champions League is the most prestigious tournament in European soccer
Thirty-six teams entered 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 $150 in Bonus Bets.
Manchester City are the favorites to win the Champions League 2024/25 with the best online sportsbooks. 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.
City have beaten Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague so far, but they drew 0-0 with Inter on matchday one and lost 4-1 to Sporting CP this week. Their odds have lengthened as a result.
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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.
But Madrid have not had everything their own way in 2024/25, losing 1-0 to Lille and 3-1 to AC Milan. Carlo Ancelotti’s side are struggling to find the right balance, but it would be unwise to write them off.
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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 fast start to the La Liga campaign.
A 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich last month fuelled hope that Barca might be able to challenge in Europe too. Hansi Flick’s team followed that seismic success up with a 5-2 thumping of Red Star Belgrade on matchday four to move onto nine points.
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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.
The Reds are top of the table at present and are the only side in the competition with a 100 percent record after four rounds of fixtures. Liverpool are looking good, yet they remain fourth-favorites for now.
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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 have drawn 0-0 with Atalanta and lost 1-0 to Inter so far, although they did impress in a 2-0 defeat of Paris Saint-Germain.
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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.
However, Vincent Kompany’s men have had a mediocre start, losing two of their first four outings to Aston Villa and Barcelona. Bayern still have work to do to secure a top-eight finish.
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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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