Champions League Predictions and Betting Tips

UEFA Champions League Playoff Round: Second Leg Preview

The UEFA Champions League playoff round is set for an exciting conclusion as teams battle for a place in the Round of 16. With the first-leg results in the books, some clubs have the upper hand, while others must fight back to keep their European dreams alive. Here’s a full preview of the second-leg matchups.

AC Milan vs. Feyenoord (Feyenoord lead 1-0)

AC Milan faces a must-win situation after suffering a narrow defeat in the first leg. Feyenoord’s disciplined defense kept the Rossoneri at bay, but Milan will look to turn the tide in front of their home fans. Experience in high-pressure European nights could play a key role for Stefano Pioli’s men, while Feyenoord will aim to weather the storm and strike on the counter.

AS Monaco vs. Benfica (Benfica lead 1-0)

Benfica holds a slender lead heading into the second leg after securing a 1-0 win at home. Monaco, needing a strong attacking display, will look to break down a well-structured Benfica side that has been solid defensively. The Ligue 1 outfit will have to be wary of the Portuguese club’s ability to punish teams on the counterattack.

Atalanta vs. Club Brugge (Club Brugge lead 2-1)

Atalanta will be looking to overturn their first-leg loss after conceding a late penalty that gave Club Brugge the advantage. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men are strong at home and will likely push forward from the start, but Brugge has shown they can exploit defensive gaps. An early goal could be crucial in deciding the momentum of this tie.

Bayern Munich vs. Celtic (Bayern lead 2-1)

Bayern Munich heads into the second leg with a narrow advantage after edging Celtic in a hard-fought first encounter. While the German giants remain favorites, Celtic’s late goal in the first leg keeps them in the tie. Brendan Rodgers’ men will need to produce a near-perfect performance to cause an upset, while Bayern will look to control the game and finish the job.

Borussia Dortmund vs. Sporting CP (Dortmund lead 3-0)

Dortmund’s dominant first-leg performance has put them in full control of the tie. Sporting CP will need an extraordinary comeback to stand a chance, but Dortmund’s attacking power and home advantage make them heavy favorites to progress. If Sporting are to make things interesting, an early goal is a must.

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Brest (PSG lead 3-0)

PSG took full control of this all-French tie with a commanding first-leg win. With Kylian Mbappé and company in top form, it will take a monumental effort from Brest to turn things around. Expect PSG to manage the game while Brest pushes forward in search of an early goal to spark an unlikely comeback.

PSV Eindhoven vs. Juventus (Juventus lead 2-1)

Juventus holds a slight advantage heading into the second leg but will need to be wary of PSV’s attacking threat at home. With only one goal separating the teams, this tie remains finely balanced. Juventus will likely adopt a disciplined approach, while PSV must be clinical in front of goal to turn the tie in their favor.

Real Madrid vs. Manchester City (Real Madrid lead 3-2)

One of the most anticipated second-leg clashes, Real Madrid carries a slim advantage after a thrilling first encounter. Manchester City, despite controlling large portions of the first leg, conceded late and now faces the daunting challenge of a comeback at the Bernabéu. With both teams boasting world-class talent, this match promises high drama and could go down to the wire.

The second legs will determine which clubs advance to the Round of 16, and with plenty of tight contests, expect thrilling European nights filled with drama, intensity, and unforgettable moments.

Champions League Betting Experts

If you are looking for betting experts for the best football league in the world, you are at the right place. At bettingexpert, you can find predictions for all CL matches in the new format, table, match info, and odds all in one place. Most of the games will have match previews, so you can see what’s happening between the teams and how you can use the data to your advantage. You can also find league stats regarding goals in the whole match, first/second half goals, betting markets like both teams to score, goals per minute, etc.

Champions League Betting Stats

Statistics for the Champions League are different compared to top leagues like the Bundesliga or Premier League because there are more variables you need to take into notice. Only a few teams are constantly playing in the championship which means that the goal stats will depend on who will join the CL from other leagues. This is why it would be best to look only at last year’s statistics because it’s most relevant.

CL – Average Goal Stats

The top teams with the most goals per match will always be the lowest-ranked teams because they concede a lot of goals per match and then you can find teams like Barcelona, Liverpool, RB Leipzig and others that are top-tier. When it comes to the CL as a whole, we had over 2 goals in 83.2% of the time and over 3 goals in 51.2%. The numbers are lower compared to other seasons which can’t be said for league matches.

Goal Stats	0.5+	1.5+	2.5+	3.5+
League Average	93.6%	83.2%	51.2%	31.2%

CL – Both Teams To Score

One of the ways to see if there are clear favourites in the championship is to check the BTTS stats. For the last season, we had BTTS in 12% of the matches. This year, the number is even lower which can also mean that there aren’t enough goals being scored. This is also the reason why you should check multiple stats and then make a decision. More goals per match but fewer “both teams to score” matches means that we usually had a clear favourite.

CL – Half-Time Stats

There were some matches with a lot of goals in the first half which has one of the best odds, especially for the Champions League predictions. In more than 15% of the matches, we had over 2 goals scored. Over one goal was one of the best tips you could play on and it happened in 38.4% of the matches.

Half-Time Goals	0.5+	1.5+	2.5+
League Average	70.4%	38.4%	15.2%

CL – Goals Per Minutes

Nowadays, matches start very slow except for some German teams that don’t calculate too much and just want to score more. Only 11.2% of the goals are scored in the first 15 minutes and last-minute goals are still the most popular which happens in 22.3% of the cases. We had 40 more goals in the second half which is 208 for the season.

Champions League Format Key Changes

Key changes include:

1. Single League Phase: All 36 teams will be ranked together in a single league table.
2. Eight Matches: Each team will play eight matches in this league phase, facing eight different opponents (four at home and four away).
3. Seeding Pots: Teams will be initially ranked in four seeding pots. Each team will play two opponents from each pot.
4. Diverse Opponents: This system ensures that teams will encounter a broader range of opponents, enhancing competition and offering fans more high-profile matchups earlier in the tournament.

Champions League Dates

The new format changed the schedule a bit especially if you want to watch other competitions like Europa League and Conference League. The finals are like every year, in May.

Matchday 1: 17–19 September 2024
Matchday 2: 1/2 October 2024
Matchday 3: 22/23 October 2024
Matchday 4: 5/6 November 2024
Matchday 5: 26/27 November 2024
Matchday 6: 10/11 December 2024
Matchday 7: 21/22 January 2025
Matchday 8: 29 January 2025

Knockout stage:

Knockout round play-offs: 11/12 and 18/19 February 2025
Round of 16: 4/5 and 11/12 March 2025
Quarter-finals: 8/9 and 15/16 April 2025
Semi-finals: 29/30 April and 6/7 May 2025
Final: 31 May 2025

Champions League Tips

One thing that is different this season compared to the last one is that we have more goals considering that every top team will have at least a couple of matches with a lower-ranked club. Sometimes it will bring unexpected outcomes, but at least you can enjoy more beautiful goals. When it comes to betting tips, here are a few that you can use when betting on the Champions League:

• Teams are more reserved when they have a hard encounter in CL. Matches in domestic leagues result in less goals because of this.
• The new format came with more surprises for bettors since meats are always playing against a different team instead of standard home/away matches against 1 team. There’s a higher chance of Both Team to Score since they need to analyse each opponent from scratch.
• The more into the season we go the fewer goals we will see. If betting on goals is your thing, the first 8 matchdays are the best options.

Champions League Past Winners

Real Madrid showed grit last season as they managed to capture their 14 Champions League trophy. They managed to improve their ranking on AC Milan (seven titles) and showed that they are absolute specialists when it comes to this competition.

Season	Winner
2023/24	Real Madrid
2022/23	Manchester City
2021/22	Real Madrid
2020/21	Chelsea
2019/20	Bayern Munich

Champions League Top Goalscorers

To get the best out of our Champions League predictions, we also turn to some of the best individual performances that certain players have had in previous years.

Season	Best Goalscorer	Club	Goals
2023/24	Harry  Kane/Kylian Mbappe	Bayern/PSG	8
2022/23	Erling Haaland	Manchester City	12
2021/22	Karim Benzema	Real Madrid	15
2020/21	Erling Haaland	Borussia Dortmund	10
2019/20	Robert Lewandowski	Bayern Munich	15
2018/19	Lionel Messi	Barcelona	12

 

Europa League Betting Tips

Conference League Betting Tips