Champions League Predictions
UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Predictions - UCL Betting Tips
The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League was one of the most exciting soccer competitions in recent memory, thanks to the expanded format. This season, Europe’s premier club soccer tournament returns, and you can enjoy the games right here at Stake Sportsbook.
All 2025/26 UCL matches are available to bet on, and you can watch the qualifiers for free when you're logged in to your Stake.com account!
What is the Champions League?
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is the most prestigious club competition in soccer. It’s an annual soccer tournament featuring the best teams from across Europe’s top soccer leagues. The UCL is organised by UEFA, which is also responsible for the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League.
Each season, clubs have a chance to qualify for a European competition based on their domestic league performance. Since the 2024/25 season, 36 teams have taken part in the tournament, which is split between a league phase and a knockout phase.
Teams from top-ranked domestic leagues automatically enter the league phase. However, there’s also a qualifying phase, in which teams from all over Europe have a chance to reach the Champions League.
There are 3 qualifying rounds and one play-off round, through which 7 teams advance to join the remaining 29 teams in the league phase.
UCL History & Past Winners
The first time the champions of 2 European football leagues met was in 1895, when English champions Sunderland beat the Scottish champions Heart of Midlothian in a match that was nicknamed the World Championship. However, the first European continental cup competition was held in 1900, between the champions of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
In 1948, the South American Championship of Champions was held in Chile, featuring teams from across South America. This tournament became the inspiration for the European Champions Cup, which was created by UEFA in 1955.
In the early days of the competition, the European Champions Cup was a straight knockout competition and only open to champions of Europe’s domestic leagues. However, as the tournament grew in popularity, it changed significantly. In 1991, it added the round-robin group stage, and for the 1992/93 season, it was rebranded as the UEFA Champions League. Originally, the tournament had only allowed one team per nation, but this was changed in the 1997/98 season to allow multiple entrants from top-ranked countries.
For the 2024-25 season, the Champions League was updated once more to do away with the classic group stage format, introducing a league stage.
Top teams in the history of the competition include:
Real Madrid - 15 titles
Milan - 7 titles
Bayern Munich - 5 titles
Liverpool - 6 titles
Barcelona - 5 titles
Ajax - 4 titles
Inter Milan - 3 titles
Manchester United - 2 titles
2025/26 Champions League Schedule & Fixtures
Qualifying
17 June - Draw
8-9 July and 15-16 July - First qualifying round
22-23 July and 29-30 July - Second qualifying round
5-6 August and 12-13 August - Third qualifying round
19-20 August and 26-27 August - Play-off round
League Phase
28 August - Draw
16-18 September - Matchday 1
30 September - 1 October - Matchday 2
21-22 October - Matchday 3
4-5 November - Matchday 4
25-26 November - Matchday 5
9-10 December - Matchday 6
20-21 January - Matchday 7
28 January - Matchday 8
Knockout Phase
30 January - Draw
10-11 March and 17-18 March - Round of 16
7-8 April and 14-15 April - Quarter-finals
28-29 April and 5-6 May - Semi-finals
30 May - Final
Champions League Predictions - Who Will Make It Through Qualifiers?
Celtic
Celtic are in the play-off round due to winning the 2024/25 Scottish Premiership title. They’ll be one of the 5 seeded teams in the league path, giving them a good chance to qualify. Celtic have previously won the Champions League in 1967. Last season, they finished 21st in the Champions League.
Benfica
Benfica finished 2nd in the 2024/25 Primeira Liga standings, meaning they entered the third qualifying round of the Champions League. They have the most UCL wins of any Portuguese team (130) and have participated in the tournament 42 times. Last season, they finished 16th in the league phase.
Bodø/Glimt
Bodø/Glimt won the 2024 Norwegian Eliteserien, meaning they entered the UCL play-off round for the 2025/26 season. Although they’ve played in the UCL qualifying stages 3 times, they’ve never reached the full tournament, getting as far as the play-off stages, but they reached the Europa League semi-finals last season.
Club Brugge
After finishing second in the 2024/25 Belgian Pro League, Club Brugge qualified for the third qualifying round of the UCL. In 1978, they became the first Belgian team to reach a European Cup final, and they qualified for the UCL knockout rounds as recently as the 2022/23 season.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen won the 2024/25 Danish Superliga, meaning they qualified for the second round of the UCL qualifiers. They’ve reached the group stage of the UEFA Champions League 6 times, most recently reaching the round of 16 in the 2023/24 season.
Champions League Betting Tips, Odds & Previews
We will keep you abreast of all the biggest upcoming sports events, so you can locate the best odds and insights at Stake. Ideally, to maximise your winning chances, read our tips below to consolidate your betting strategy:
Specialize in one market before expanding - If you are new to sports betting, particularly Champions League qualifying wagering, get to grips with easier betting systems, such as the moneyline, before advancing to more complex methods such as handicaps or a parlay.
Jump on any available offers or promotions advertised - This may range from free bets to money back if your team surges into a 2-0 lead, but whatever it is, you can boost your bankroll and enhance your betting experience in the long term.
Watch games live - If you can’t physically get to the stadium, the next best thing is to watch it on TV or via a stream, so you can identify patterns in the game. This could be whether a team struggles to close down space or impose themselves in the first half.
Stay up-to-date with all Stake sports news - Make sure you follow our blog, so you aren’t out of the loop when it comes to injury updates or other important info on matchdays.
Types of Bets & How to Bet on the Champions League
Champions League qualifying opens itself for a plethora of betting opportunities, and we have outlined some of the key markets below, as well as in our soccer betting guide and ultimate sports betting guide for your perusal:
Moneyline - This is the purest but simplest bet and requires predicting which team will win. You will cash your ticket if a team comes out on top after 90 minutes, but remember that in the Champions League, away goals don’t count double as they used to, so if both sides are level after regulation time, the contest will go into extra time.
Outright betting - This entails taking a long-term view, or in the case of this guide, predicting which side will win the Champions League.
Props - This can be split down into team and individual performances, such as whether a player will be carded or how many corners there will be, and they provide good value for money.
Spread betting - Popular for soccer, a spread might be set between 0.5 and 2 goals. Betting on the favorite means they need to beat the spread. Typically, there are a lot of goals per game in the Champions League, and this can produce a tidy profit.
Live betting - To thrust you into the heart of the action, you can wager as the game goes on. You will be able to find live soccer markets that incorporate the moneyline, props, or even spreads, and there is more flexibility with in-play betting. For some, when it comes to live betting vs pre-match betting, the former might be more fun.
Same Game Multi bet builder - It’s best to treat these as same-game parlays, so you can input multiple selections onto a single slip, but all legs must pull through for you to win.
Live Stream Football/Soccer Matches Online
At Stake, you can keep on top of the football and soccer games through our free live soccer streams. Simply sign up, create an account, and head over to the live events page. Then, all you have to do is select any of the games that have the live stream icon. Select the event to view the stream, which you can move around the screen or make full screen to enjoy the action as it happens. Champions League qualifiers are available to watch through our free live streams.
Live betting odds are also available on soccer matches at Stake, including the Champions League. Select any live match to see the current odds, which are updated in real time as the game unfolds.
Champions League Betting Odds, Payouts & Promotions
Before you start placing bets on the latest action from the Champions League, make sure you’re aware of how betting odds work and the effect they have on your payouts. Check our full guide on odds if you’re unsure. You can change between different formats, including decimal, fractional, and American, depending on your preferences.
At Stake, we want to make sure your experience watching and betting on the Champions League is as exciting as possible. That’s why we offer sports betting bonuses, including the Champions League first-half payout promo. Back any team in the 1x2 market, and if they score 2 goals in the first half, you’ll be paid out as a winner, even if they go on to lose the game!
Soccer & Football Betting Tips, Predictions & Strategies
Before making any football bets, it’s always best to have a plan or betting system in place. This will help you stay within your budget and always make smart decisions when betting. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before you place any wagers on Champions League matches:
Only bet on games when you are familiar with both teams: You should know each team’s personnel, tactical styles, strengths, and weaknesses. This is the best way to determine not just what team is better but how the two teams will match up against one another.
Keep up with the latest team news: There could be key players who picked up a recent injury and will either not play or may not be at full strength. This type of information can easily sway what team has the advantage.
Look closely at how each team has played in recent games, both Champions League games and in their domestic league. Even if one team has better players, if they are in the middle of a slump, they may not be at their best in a Champions League match.
Stake VIP Club & Responsible Betting
Whether you are a novice soccer bettor or an aficionado, Stake is the home of the Champions League, including the playoffs and all knockout games, so you’re covered every step of the way for all matches.
Stake also boasts plenty of deposit and withdrawal methods for online betting. This includes traditional banking options, platforms like Moonpay and Swapped.com , and a variety of cryptocurrencies. As a result, making payments using your preferred currency and payment method is incredibly straightforward and extremely safe, thanks to our vault.
Any questions you may have, don’t hesitate to check out our vault, where there will be invaluable resources as well for high rollers, including answers about our bespoke VIP club and exclusive rewards, including regular rakeback, reload bonuses and your own VIP host. You can find out more on the VIP FAQ page. In the meantime, stay Stake Smart and always gamble responsibly to have the best possible betting experience at Stake.
