Football fans are in for a treat this season, with the revamped 2024/25 UEFA Champions League featuring significantly more matches than previous editions.
The governing body has increased the number of participating teams from 32 to 36, while the opening phase of the tournament has been overhauled.
The group stage has been replaced by a ‘league phase’, which will see each team play eight games against different opponents.
With a new knockout play-off round also introduced, the total number of matches played this season will increase from 125 to 189.
Read on as we look at the dates, format and odds for the 2024/25 Champions League, before previewing what promises to be an intriguing competition.
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UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Dates
- Matchday 1: September 17-19
- Matchday 2: October 1-2
- Matchday 3: October 22-23
- Matchday 4: November 5-6
- Matchday 5: November 26-27
- Matchday 6: December 10-11
- Matchday 7: January 21-22
- Matchday 8: January 29
- Knockout round play-offs: February 11-12 & 18-19
- Round of 16: March 4-5 & March 11-12
- Quarter-finals: April 8-9 & 15-16
- Semi-finals: April 29-30 & May 6-7
- Final: May 31
UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Format
Each club plays eight games against eight different opponents during the new league phase (4H, 4A). The top eight teams qualify automatically for the knockout stage.
The teams finishing 9-24th place will compete in a two-legged play-off to secure a place in the round of 16. The remaining teams are eliminated.
UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Betting
Online bookmakers will be inundated with wagers on the Champions League this season as punters take advantage of the significant increase in the number of games.
The sportsbook linked to the betpanda bitcoin poker rates Manchester City as the favourites to lift the trophy, while reigning champions Real Madrid are prominent in the betting.
- Manchester City – 43/20
- Real Madrid – 69/20
- Arsenal – 159/20
- Bayern Munich – 119/10
- Barcelona – 61/5
- Liverpool – 27/2
- Paris Saint-Germain – 39/2
- Inter Milan – 117/5
- Bayer Leverkusen – 121/5
- Atletico Madrid – 247/10
- Borussia Dortmund – 259/10
- Juventus – 34/1
- AC Milan – 41/1
- Atalanta – 50/1
- Aston Villa – 65/1
- RB Leipzig – 94/1
- Sporting CP – 99/1
- Monaco – 99/1
- Benfica – 104/1
- Lille – 109/1
- PSV Eindhoven – 144/1
- Stuttgart – 149/1
- Girona – 194/1
- Red Bull Salzburg – 194/1
- Feyenoord – 194/1
- Bolgona – 194/1
- Celtic – 249/1
- Brest – 279/1
- Shakhtar Donetsk – 279/1
- Club Brugge – 289/1
- Sparta Prague – 399/1
- Sturm Graz – 424/1
- Young Boys – 474/1
- Dinamo Zagreb – 474/1
- Red Star Belgrade – 699/1
- Slovan Bratislava – 874/1
UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Preview
While Man City are worthy favourites to win the Champions League, the revised format has handed them some tricky tests during the opening phase.
Trips to Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain will not be easy, but Pep Guardiola’s side possess enough quality to book their place in the last-16.
However, it will be intriguing to see how the draw for the knockout stage unfolds and the potential route each team is handed to the final.
City will be eager to avoid Madrid, who look a good bet to win the league phase and the tournament after being handed a relatively favourable draw.
Their visit to Liverpool is a potential banana skin, but the remaining seven games all look winnable. On that basis, odds of 49/20 to win the league phase look tempting.
Bayern Munich have also been handed a decent draw and should make progress, while Barcelona and Arsenal could ease into the last-16.
Punters looking for a surprise package would be well-advised to consider Juventus, with the Serie A giants priced at 5/2 to finish in the top eight.
The aforementioned game against Man City is their most difficult assignment, but the rest of their fixtures offer excellent opportunities to pick up points.
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