Discover the best Champions League odds
Everything you need to know about one of football's top competitions
The UEFA Champions League is one of the most exciting, prestigious, and popular football competitions in the world.
It first began back in the 1955-1956 season, and since then has expanded to become one of the most anticipated events for football fans around the world. National League champions go head to head, representing countries across Europe and competing to become the next European club champions.
So many great sporting moments have become part of the competition's history, from Liverpool's dramatic comeback against AC Milan in the 2005 final, through to Manchester United's dramatic victory, coming from 1-0 down against Bayern Munich in the 1999 final to win in injury time.
With so much build-up, top European teams fighting tooth and nail, and the odd upset, there is nothing more exciting than betting on the Champions League.
At NicerOdds, you can compare betting odds, and plan bets with ease. We are the ultimate odds comparison website, helping you find all the information you need so you can make the right bet and see if your Champions League favourites come through. It’s the best way to enjoy the competition.
How the Champions League works
Each year, the UEFA Champions League gets underway at the end of June. The tournament sees 32 teams compete in five rounds for the chance to earn the status of the best football club in Europe. The winners of the UEFA Champions League will automatically qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup.
What makes it so exciting is the true variety of countries and teams that take part from the very beginning, making betting on the Champions League a thrill from the very first match.
The qualifying rounds take place across four stages, then the teams that make it through the preliminary, first, second, and third rounds head to the play-off round. Here they participate in two legs, a home and away game, against another team. The team that comes out on top of this two-leg event progresses to the Champions League Group Stage.
The Group Stage
The 32 teams that play in the Champions League make up eight different groups. In the Group Stage, the top two teams from each group qualify for the competition's last 16 games. The team in third place continues to the last 32 rounds of the Europa League, and the team in fourth place is eliminated from all European competitions.
The last 16 games of the competition make up a knockout round played in two legs: one home game and one away game. The winner of this event progresses to the quarter final. From there, they will go on to the semi-final and then the final. This final stage takes place in one round, on a neutral pitch.
The most recent winners
Bayern Munich won the most recent Champions League, making them the current reigning champions. The team won every game they played throughout the competition, and their striker Robert Lewandowski won the European Golden Boot after scoring a whopping 15 goals.
The 2019 Champions League winners were Liverpool, but they were unable to retain their title the following year. They lost a game to Atlético Madrid, a team eager to gain their first Champions League win. It remains to be seen if Bayern Munich will succumb to a similar fate, or come out on top for the second year in a row.
Champions League favourites for 2021
Bayern Munich's win makes the team a clear favourite for the next season. Many predict they will retain their Champions League title after a year of dominating the top tier of German football. After Hans-Dieter Flick became their coach in November 2019, the team soared to the top ranks, finishing the 2019-20 season undefeated for 30 consecutive matches.
After an atypical start to the season, Manchester City seems to be back at their best in time to be a real threat in the Champions League. They won the Premier League in the 2017-18 season, and now they are hoping for their first Champions League title.
The 2019 Champions League winners Liverpool are also contenders for this season. They're hoping star defender Virgil van Dijk will recover from his injury in time to lead them to Champions League glory.
Other teams to watch
One of this year's top underdog teams to watch is English Premier League team Chelsea, which recently signed former Leipzig striker Timo Werner and former Ajax winger Hakim Ziyech. With all the spending they did in the 2020 season, fans have high hopes that they will impress on the European stage.
Atlético Madrid are standout performers in this season's La Liga, Spain's top league. The team has won La Liga ten times, but have yet to bring home the Champions League title. They were runners up in the competition in 1974, 2014, and 2016, and they are eager to finally claim the title.
Dutch team Ajax is another group to watch. The team is currently leading Eredivisie, the top Dutch league, and has won the Champions League four times in its history.
The hall of fame
Real Madrid won the first-ever Champions League, and have also taken the title more times than any other team, with 13 total wins to date. AC Milan comes in second, having won the Champions League seven times, and Bayern Munich and Liverpool tie for third, both holding six total Champions League wins.
Things you didn't know about the Champions League
The Champions League is a complex competition with lots of trivia to support its long history. Here are a few interesting facts you may not have known about this fascinating football competition.
- The original version of the Champions League that began in 1955 was called the European Champion Clubs' Cup.
- The current version of the competition was implemented in 1992.
- Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo has the record for the highest number of goals in Champions League history, with 132 goals scored.
- Bayern Munich's Roy Makaay scored the fastest Champions League goal on record in 2007 while playing against Real Madrid. He made the goal with 10 seconds on the clock.
Betting on Champions League
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