Champions League Betting Preview 2025/26 – Discover the Top Favorites and Contenders from Matchday 1

The Champions League is finally back! With it comes our detailed Champions League betting preview guide that presents the key matches in action from Matchday 1 and the top predictions for the 2025-2026 season ahead.

As one of the most popular soccer betting markets, the CL gets a lot of attention from Canadian bettors. This goes double for the new format, which was introduced last year. The league phase counts 36 teams, making the Champions League more competitive than ever. Read on to learn more about the new format and the Champions League betting landscape for the new season.

Champions League Format and Betting Landscape

Last year, UEFA decided to change the Champions League format to something that resembles the basketball Euroleague. Instead of categorizing teams into groups, it expanded the number of clubs involved and introduced a league phase.

• The CL begins in early July with 3 qualifying rounds and a playoff round.
• A total of 7 teams advanced through the qualifiers, joining the other 29 that are already qualified.
• Each team is drawn against 8 opponents, with 4 matches at home and 4 away.
• The 24 top teams from the league phase progress to the knockout rounds.
• CL’s knockout round format remains the same, being played over two legs with the exception of the final.

With an expansion to 36 teams, the league features dozens of contenders and outsiders for the trophy. The biggest names remain top favorites for the final, although smaller teams that have nothing to lose can thrive under the new format. Last year, the new CL format proved fruitful, with a lot of surprises and plenty of goals – a welcome change from the previous seasons where teams calculated results each round.

Our Champions League betting preview will cover the most exciting matches from weekday 1, as well as the top betting options. With a range of options on offer including outright winners, top scorers, match odds, props, and live betting markets, bettors have an abundance of Champions League betting markets to look forward to.

Key Matchday 1 Fixtures

The Champions League kicks off on Tuesday, September 16 with 6 matches and 12 teams in action. It’s followed by two more days, replacing the previous format when the CL was played on Tuesday and Wednesday. Below are the top matches from weekday 1, with a few betting tips and insights on how they might go.

Arsenal narrowly missed out on the final last year, and this year, Arteta’s team is going all in. The Gunners will have their work cut out for them against Athletic, a club that’s traditionally tough to bet at home. The CL betting odds point to Arsenal as the favorite. However, Athletic is no pushover, so the English team might face resistance in Spain.

Juventus and Borussia Dortmund will clash in another classic heavyweight in CL’s Matchday 1. The Italian team is favored as the favorite in numerous betting odds and predictions. However, Borussia has a lot of firepower up front, which means that goals are likely on both sides.

Real Madrid is a strong favorite for this match and a contender for the trophy. Under the new leadership of Xabi Alonso, the Spanish giant shouldn’t have much trouble in the match against Marseille.

Tottenham and Villareal clash in an exciting match that could be tight. Tottenham has the favorite odds, but Villareal may prove a challenge. Our betting tip would be to go for goals, as the odds might be better than picking a team to win.

Ajax is years removed from its best performances in the Champions League. A completely different team than it was during the Frenkie De Jong era, the Dutch team takes on Inter in Matchday 1. Inter reached the final but lost last year, but it should have enough quality to see off the challenge.

Bayern Munich plays Chelsea at home in its first Champions League match this year. The Bavarian team has started the Bundesliga season strong, and should have enough in the tank to beat Chelsea. Sharp bettors might spot opportunities in the live betting section or go with goal betting instead.

Liverpool’s first opponent in the CL this year is Atletico Madrid. The Reds have started the Premier League season in style, while Simeone’s team is struggling in La Liga. Based on this alone, Liverpool should be a winner, although goals are expected on both sides.

Defending champion Paris Saint Germain hosts Atalanta in another exciting match. While missing a few key figures—and the coach—PSG remains a heavy favorite for this match and should be able to beat Atalanta.

On the last day of CL’s Matchday 1, we have two heavyweight clashes. Manchester City is facing Italian champion Napoli in the most interesting fixture. Pep Guardiola’s team started the season eratically, but is looking good before this clash, beating Manchester United in the last Premier League match. Napoli is bolstered by the arrival of former Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne, who’s surely poised to put in a great performance. This is a tight match and a possible goalfest on both sides, so that would be our prediction.

Barcelona is visiting Newcastle in another high-profile match. The Spanish champion is light years ahead of Newcastle, although porous defense might provide opportunities for the English team. But overall Barcelona is the favorite and a contender for the trophy, and should win this match.

Top Champions League Betting Favorites

The teams in the table below are current favorites to win the trophy in our Champions League betting preview. Liverpool and Barcelona sit at the top, with PSG and Real Madrid behind them. These teams represent the main CL betting outright winner favorites, and offer solid value to bettors.

*Note: Source: BetPlays. Odds are subject to change.

Popular Champions League Betting Markets

Soccer betting fans have a variety of CL betting markets to pick from starting this week. The best among them go beyond simple match winners. We’ll cover the most popular Champions League betting markets below, including props, top goalscorer, and more.

• Match winner: the simplest and most popular CL betting market. With it, bettors can choose the winner of a match, picking the home or away team to beat their opponent.
• Outright winner: this market refers to the top contender for the trophy. Bettors can pick the side they believe can win the CL, but must wait for the end of the season for the results.
• Goal betting: when a match is too tight, bettors can turn to goal betting. Opportunities include goals on both sides, goals per half, or the total number of goals a team may score.
• Over/Under: the O/U market allows bettors to predict the number of total goals in a CL match. Bookmakers set a line for goals such as 2.5, and bettors can predict if the totals are under or over that number.
• First scorer: another simple market that could offer solid returns. Back the player you think might score first and you may be in for a good profit.
• Prop bets: prop bets refer to individual bets and performances. For example, bettors might pick Harry Kane to score in a match, or Lamine Yamal to provide an assist.
• Live Champions League betting: live CL betting remains a good option for sharp-minded bettors. It offers opportunities such as next goalscorer or goal on any side, as well as in-play betting on corners, cards, and more.

Final Thoughts

Bettors couldn’t be more excited about the return of the Champions League. In our Champions League preview, we’ve covered the best action from the upcoming Matchday 1, as well as the main contenders for the trophy.

The first week of action jumps straight into several high-profile clashes. With the new format and no calculations about return legs, tricky matches are suitable for savvy bettors. Underdogs have shown last season that they can slay giants, and we expect this trend to continue.

With so many CL betting markets on offer, there’s no shortage of opportunities. The road to Wembley 2026 starts here. Make sure to come back every week and get ready with our betting tips and predictions for an exciting Champions League campaign!