Champions League Betting and Odds at NetBet Sport

Aside from the World Cup, the UEFA Champions League is the accolade every football player dreams of winning. It is considered the most prestigious tournament in club football and features the biggest and best teams from across Europe. The final is the pinnacle of club football and is one of the most widely bet-on matches across the footballing world.

At NetBet, we’ve put together a guide to Champions League betting, including a bit about its history, some of the most popular markets to bet on and more.

History of the Champions League

The competition was initially created in 1955 as the European Cup and featured some of the winners of the strongest national competitions on the continent. In the early days, it was simply a knockout stage format, with the group stages not introduced until later iterations. The first winners were Real Madrid - a trend that would continue - who beat French side Stade Reims 4-3 at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

In fact, Real Madrid went on to win the next four European Cups, beating the likes of Fiorentina, Milan, Reims (again), and Frankfurt in the years that followed. 1961 was the first year a team other than Madrid lifted the trophy, when Benfica beat Barcelona 3-2 in Switzerland.

The European Cup was reinvented as the Champions League in the early 1990s and this development included the competition's expansion, with more teams and more Champions League football. This new-look tournament was first won by Marseille, who beat AC Milan 1-0 in the final. Its current iteration sees it begin with a 36-team group phase, before play-offs and the ever-present knockout rounds.

To this day, Real Madrid remain by far the competition’s most successful club with 15 titles. Milan are second with seven titles, followed by Bayern Munich (6), Liverpool (6) and Barcelona (5).

Champions League Betting Previews and Predictions

If you’re on the hunt for Champions League odds, NetBet’s upcoming promotions, or simply want the best insight into a big upcoming fixture, head to the NetBet blog. Here, you will find previews of UCL fixtures, with Champions League betting predictions on offer noting some potentially profitable markets. Our experts go above and beyond to provide in-depth analysis and statistics to make your life easier!

Live Champions League betting

Live Champions League betting is a way to enjoy the European competition with an extra buzz. As well as hundreds of pre-match markets, you can find all the latest live markets on our dedicated in-play betting page. Live Champions League betting is not only a great way to enhance the experience as a spectator, but also allows you to pounce on real-time opportunities to profit.

For example, you might be watching PSG vs Bayern and within the first 10 minutes, sense it is going to be an all-out attacking affair. With live, in-play Champions League betting, you can now react in real-time and bet on over 4.5 goals.

Live Champions League betting is the best way to utilise your knowledge of the game to diversify your Champions League betting strategy.

Popular Champions League Betting Markets

There are a wide range of bets on Champions League matches available to you, from outright betting to more specific markets. So to make it easier, here are some the most popular Champions League betting markets:

Outright Winner: This is a longer-term outright bet on the club you think will lift the trophy.

To Reach the Final: This bet requires your chosen team to reach the final.

Top Goalscorer: A bet on the player who will score the most goals in the competition in the season. Notable players that have won this award include Erling Haaland, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Raul, and Kaka.

Match Winner: This is a bet on the outcome of an individual match and can be a home win, draw, or away win.

Both Teams to Score: This bet involves predicting whether both teams will score in an individual match or not.

Over/Under Goals: An over/under wager on the total goals that will be scored during a match.

First Goalscorer: A bet on the player that will open the scoring in a match. Comes with longer Champions League betting odds than the anytime goalscorer market.