The UEFA Champions League, in its current guise, started in 1992 and was the rebranded name for the European Cup, which first began in 1955. The competition is the biggest and most prestigious club competition in world football and pits the best of Europe, fighting it out to find the champion.
It’s a competition that is watched all around the world, and the level of Champions League betting that takes place is huge. Billions are bet on the competition, and the viewing figures are similarly high, and that’s because it’s a tournament that sees the best of the best in action.
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Those seeking to bet on the Champions League must first consider the best bookmakers to place their bets with. This isn’t a simple task. Profit Squad are here to help make the search for the best bookies that little bit easier. Below you’ll find, in our humble opinion, the best sports betting sites to focus your efforts on.
When it comes to selecting the best Champions League betting sites, your focus should be pinpointed on a number of critical areas. These areas are what defines a quality bookmaker and should be uppermost in your thoughts when selecting the right brand to sign up with.
Criteria to follow when selecting a sports betting site for your Champions League bets.
Don’t underestimate the importance of a sports betting site’s reputation. In very real terms, this could end up being the fine line between a pleasant experience and one that may see your banking details compromised.
The brands that we cover on Profit Squad are ones we value, and ideally, you’d select from these, but if you venture further, then you’d do well to check out relevant reviews to help ascertain the trustworthy nature of the site you may be about to join up with.
Clearly, the concept of reputation is something of a spectrum. The reputation of a site may relate to the quality of its overall service and the way they treat its loyal users, as well as whether they may be a fraudulent entity.
In the world of sports betting, reputation is vital, and the lack of it should set alarm bells ringing immediately.
Though in 2023, you wouldn’t expect to visit a site or app that is dated and not fit for purpose, sadly, we can report (from personal experience) that some brands don’t invest enough in the testing of their products. The ease with which you can use a sports site is hugely important and even more so when you consider mobile usage.
A site that has an app that is a joy to use, making every interaction a simple one which is clearly sign-posted, is one that should be sought after. It’s a crucial part of the Profit Squad review process, and when it comes to betting on Champions League action, it should be a motivating factor for potential bettors.
If you are a sports betting novice, then you may only want a very basic breadth of options, but most who enjoy sports betting want a large number of markets as this is what helps to make the whole process more enjoyable and also, in many ways, increases the chances of picking a winner.
Look for a sports betting site that has a wide varied selection of Champions League betting options; these would include outright markets and match bets, ideally covering every game with an equally in-depth approach.
There’s nothing worse than winning a sports bet and then finding out, usually through a gloating friend, that you could have won far more if you’d made the bet elsewhere. Seek out a bookmaker that offers the best odds, this is very easy to do using comparison sites, and our sports betting reviews highlight the best in the business.
The range when it comes to Champions League betting odds can be surprisingly wide; in other words, the difference in the amount in your pot, should you win your bet, can be pretty drastic.
The sports betting market is starting to be a lot more progressive when it comes to payment options that are available. Previously you’d only be able to sign-up via a bank account, but now most services offer e-wallet options such as Paypal. In some circumstances, you may even be able to use cryptocurrency, though this is by no means widespread. There are many reasons a customer might wish to use such options, ranging from privacy to security and services that accept such methods are usually those that are ahead of the curve and very much worthy of your attention.
The last thing you want is to have to deal with a brand’s customer service as clearly; this will most likely be because something untoward has occurred. Then you’ll find, perhaps the hard way, just how good their customer service really is. Look for operators that offer 24/7 support and preferably with a myriad of options from live chat to email as well as phone, especially as most times you’ll need to contact customer service it will be because of a reasonably pressing manner.
Betting on the Champions League has become huge in recent years, very much in line with the increase in audience from around the world. The types of betting opportunities you have are frankly vast, with any one game offering upwards of 50+ bets that could be placed. Here are some of the most popular types.
There are many sports betting markets to pursue when it comes to backing your bet, and here are just a few options to consider.
Here, as the name suggests, is the market that covers the eventual winner of the competition, and you can pick and choose from among those who start in the competition. Your approach may be to back one of the favourites and, in doing so, reduce your potential winnings or an outside bet that is less likely to lift the famous trophy, but should they do so, you’d get to party long into the night as you celebrate a lucrative payout.
If you want help with your Champions League bet, Profit Squad provides invaluable tips and news that will offer you fundamental knowledge and information that will assist you in your overall Champions League betting strategy.
It’s not a bet that is going to earn you a fortune, but we think that this season will finally see Manchester City secure their long sought-after goal. The Premier League title holders have made it through the group stage in each of the past nine seasons and to at least the quarter-finals for five years in a row.
Signing Erling Haaland is a literal game-changer, and though the odds of, at present around 11/4, are not tremendous, it’s the smart bet to consider.
The Egyptian forward has an outstanding record in the competition, and his share of the goal returns may well increase with Sadio Mane having left for Bayern Munich. The Liverpool forward is likely to be behind Haaland and perhaps even Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski in the betting, but he’s worth backing.
Last time around, Salah netted eight times in the tournament, leaving him fourth in the table, the previous season, he finished third on the list, and his overall record of 34 goals in 58 appearances in the competition since moving to Liverpool is a solid one, and we can see him shining in 2022/23.
You’ll find regular tips and guides below.
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The Champions League, or as it was originally known, the European Cup, is run by the European football governing body UEFA and has grown into something of a behemoth not just in football terms but in the world of sport as a whole.
You can split the history of the tournament into two parts, firstly in its initial guise as the European Cup and then in its more modern format, the Champions League.
The first running of the tournament took place in the 1955-56 season and saw the best sides in Europe take part in a competition that included 16 teams from 16 nations and was a straight knock-out event that was won by Real Madrid, who went on to dominate the game in quite spectacular fashion.
The likes of Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas played a vital role as the Spanish giants reeled off a series of five successive tournament wins. The fifth of which famously saw Real tear apart German champions Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in front of over 120,000 fans in Glasgow.
Their dominance then waned as other sides started to get in on the act. Portuguese side Benfica and Italian outfits AC and Inter Milan picked up the trophy before Scottish side Celtic became the first British team to win the European Cup in 1967.
Manchester United, led by superstars Bobby Charlton, George Best and Dennis Law, then became the first English team to win the competition when they famously thumped Benfica at Wembley.
Johann Cruyff’s Ajax then ran up a trio of successes in the early 70s, with Bayern Munich doing likewise.
English sides then put their stamp on the tournament in a big way, with English teams winning the European Cup for six successive seasons, with Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa all running out triumphant winners.
The older format of the tournament closed out with Barcelona’s narrow win over Sampdoria, clinched thanks to a superb Ronald Koeman free-kick.
The competition had already started to expand, with group stages replacing early knock-out rounds, and the expansion continued. This meant that now the competition was not just played out by national champions but also by teams that finished below them in the major leagues.
This helped to spread the appeal, and it was a recipe for success that has continued unabated to this day.
Marseille won the first UEFA Champions League in 1992-93 before AC Milan blew away Barcelona in a famous 4-0 success the following year. The 1998-99 season saw the first English team win the new format, with Manchester United coming back from a goal down to famously beat Bayern Munich in injury time at the Nou Camp.
Thirteen different teams have won a Champions League trophy, which shows the variety of clubs that have been capable of securing such a venerable feat. That said, there are clearly some teams that have been more dominant than others.
Real Madrid’s victory in 2022 was their eighth of the Champions League era, and the next most successful team in this newer format is their arch-rivals Barcelona, who have won it four times, albeit it’s now seven years since their last triumph.
Three English teams have the honour of stating they have held aloft the Champions League trophy, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool all managing to do so twice each.
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Though the Champions League sees the top teams from all the relevant competing nations vying for the title of the best team in Europe, arguably, the number of teams who could realistically triumph is relatively narrow. Let’s take a closer look at those who could genuinely emerge victorious.
The San Siro outfit picked up their first Serie A title in a decade last season, and Stefano Pioli will hope for a better Champions League display than last year when they finished bottom of their group. A bet on Milan to win the competition may be a bit far-fetched; unless you are a massive fan of the Rossoneri, it may be best to steer clear.
Madrid’s ‘second’ team have been a very consistent performer in the Champions League, and Diego Simeone has taken the club to the final twice (only to see them lose both times to their local rivals Real). A formidable team to beat, Atletico tend to go down swinging in the knock-out stages.
Inter Milan’s only Champions League success came back in 2010, under the guidance of Jose Mourinho, and since then, they’ve not come close to cracking the code. Last season was the first time they’ve made it further than the group stage since 2012, so a bet on Simone Inzaghi’s side to win it might be a bridge too far, to say the least.
Antonio Conte’s arrival in North London helped to rejuvenate the club’s fortunes, and a good run of form saw Tottenham secure a Champions League return. The Italian coach won the Champions League as a player with Juventus but is missing a tournament win as a manager on his CV. Spurs made it to the final of the tournament in 2018-19, coming after a truly miraculous semi-final win over Ajax.
Thomas Tuchel helped the Stamford Bridge side to a Champions League success in his first season in charge, and the West London team are an excellent bet to back for a long run in the competition. Whether they go far is strongly linked to how they fare in the Premier League; in many ways, they may be aided by the fact that they are a country mile behind Man City in the domestic game, offering them more of a shot at continental success.
It’s somewhat surprising that the reigning champions are considered the fifth favourites with most bookmakers, and that makes backing the Bernabeu side a very good idea. Last season they secured a La Liga and Champions League double mainly off the back of the efforts of veteran forward Karim Benzema, and Carlo Ancelotti has brought in some good additions to make them an even more solid bet to once again lift the trophy.
The Bavarian outfit’s last Champions League success, in 2020, came in front of no spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic, and they are always a solid bet to do well in the competition. The Allianz Arena side is incredibly consistent when it comes to their form in the competition, having made it into the competition and out of the group stage in each of the past 14 seasons. Indeed in 12 of those 14 seasons, they’ve made it to at least the quarter-finals.
The French giants have thrown a great deal of money at a push to lift their first-ever Champions League trophy but, in recent seasons, have actually taken a step backwards in that pursuit. Lionel Messi was brought in last year to finally end their drought, but they still failed to get close to winning the tournament. They’ve since sacked manager Mauricio Pochettini, and the baton has now moved to Christophe Galtier, who doesn’t have a great deal of experience in the tournament.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were the losing finalists last season and have gotten to the final on three occasions over the past five seasons and are sure to be a major contender in 2022/23. They may be without Sadio Mane, but the Anfield outfit is still more than capable of going all the way, especially having tied down Mohamed Salah to a new long-term deal. You can expect the Merseyside outfit to be there or thereabouts come next May.
Pep Guardiola may have won the European Cup as a player and the Champions League as a manager, but he’s still yet to taste that glory with Manchester City and the big-spending Premier League outfit is going all-in on their efforts for the coming season. The summer signing of Erling Haaland may prove to be the missing piece in the Etihad Stadium jigsaw, and it’s not surprising that the Premier League title holders are the favourites to win in 2022/23.
The Champions League is always a great tournament to view the best players in the world in action. These come in the form of seasoned pros and superstars as well as young pretenders that are starting to make a name for themselves. Here’s a handful of those you need to be paying particular attention to, especially as they may affect your Champions League betting plans.
Karim Benzema got pretty much all the plaudits for Real Madrid’s success last season, which is fair enough, but the young Brazilian more than grew in stature in 2021/22. The crafty forward was on hand to net the winner in Paris but did a lot more besides. Still only 22, we can see the former Flamengo man really moving towards superstar status this season.
There’s every chance Vinicius Junior will mature into the real deal, and another season of Champions League glory may well await.
If Man City are going to end their wait for a Champions League title, then the Belgian is going to be a big reason why. The assist-making machine will have Haaland to aim for, as well as a host of other attacking talents, and he has the drive to push on for more silverware in 2022/23.
The playmaker added a killer goal-scoring instinct to his game last term and is always capable of applying a match-winning touch where needed, and Pep Guardiola will build his efforts around the midfielder.
The Polish international’s move to Catalonia is a fascinating one. Lewandowski had done it all at Bayern Munich, and he chose to pursue a new challenge when he might just as quickly have chosen to rest on his laurels. He joins a Barcelona side that is looking to rebuild under Xavi, and frankly, you can count on the veteran forward to score goals at will; we are, after all, talking about a player who has finished as the top-scorer in the competition in 2019-20 and the competition’s joint third highest scorer of all time.
The UEFA Champions League starts on the 21st of June, with the first qualifying encounters coming in a knock-out format. The all-important group stage kicks off on September 6th, and that’s when the betting on Champions League action really gets going.
Here is a rundown of the important UEFA Champions fixtures and the dates they’ll take place.
The UEFA Champions League is broadcast live in over 150 nations worldwide, and the final is now regularly the most-watched sports event in the world, pushing ahead of the NFL Super Bowl. Check your area to find which channel is the rights holder.
If you are wondering where to watch the UEFA Champions League, In the UK, BT Sport has owned the rights to broadcast the event since 2015.
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