The domestic and European season at club level is officially over, with the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund concluding the action for 2023-24. Los Blancos came out victorious 2-0, winning their record 15th European Cup last Saturday and further solidifying themselves as arguably the best club in the world. Now, it’s time to look ahead to the 2024-25 UCL campaign, which is set to have a different look. The competition will go from 32 teams to 36 and instead, each side will play eight group stage games, four at home and four away. As for the Champions League futures, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City stands superior ahead of the summer transfer window with +225 odds. Madrid isn’t far behind at +300, while Arsenal (+900), Liverpool (+1000), Bayern Munich (+1200), and Barcelona (+1200) follow.
Before we get into the odds, preview, and picks, check out the biggest Vegas online soccer betting sites if you want to be ahead of the pack and put some early money down on the potential 25′ Champions League winner.
| Team |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | +225 | +225 | +225 |
| Real Madrid | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| Arsenal | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Liverpool | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Barcelona | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Bayern Munich | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Inter Milan | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| PSG | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Borussia Dortmund | +3300 | +3300 | +3300 |
The Cityzens finally won the Champions League in 2022-23, beating Inter Milan in the showpiece. The Premier League champions were also a favorite for the entire 2023-24 campaign but failed to repeat, losing in the quarterfinals to you guessed it, Real Madrid. That was a gut-wrenching defeat, especially because it came in penalties at Etihad in the second leg. But, Man City should be back in the mix next season. Their squad is expected to stay relatively the same, although Kevin De Bruyne is attracting interest from Saudi Arabia while Julian Alvarez is on the radar of numerous clubs across Europe. Regardless, Guardiola will have a phenomenal group again who will be competing for many trophies. They’re a deserving favorite.
How could Real get any better? Oh, maybe by adding Kylian Mbappe just days after winning the UCL final. The Frenchman has joined the LaLiga giants and makes this side instantly stronger. He’ll accompany Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior in Carlo Ancelotti’s attack and is surely going to light it up in his first season in Spain. On top of that, Alphonso Davies is reportedly on Madrid’s radar, too. Luka Modric just signed a one-year extension and the rest of the squad remains intact. Los Blancos didn’t lose once en route to their Champions League trophy and honestly could repeat. That is a serious possibility.
Arsenal’s return to the Champions League was impressive, making it to the quarterfinals before falling to Harry Kane and Bayern Munich. Overall, it was a great season for Mikel Arteta’s men, finishing second in the EPL table behind Man City and having the best goal difference in the top flight. The Gunners flew through the UCL group stages and looked good in the knockouts prior to meeting with the German giants, whose experience shined through across the two legs. Arsenal is expected to add some reinforcements in the transfer window as they’ve been linked to names like Benjamin Sesko and Bruno Guimaraes. Even with the squad Arteta already has, Arsenal should find themselves in the latter stages of the knockout stages next year.
It’s the beginning of a new era at Anfield after Jurgen Klopp departed this summer. Now, it’s Arne Slot in charge, the former Feyenoord boss. Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip are set to leave after an injury-ravaged season, but other than that, we’ll see a lot of the same players on the pitch for Liverpool. When healthy, the Reds have one of the best attacks in the world with Mo Salah, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, and Darwin Nunez. The Merseysiders missed out on the Champions League last season and had to settle for Europa where they were shocked by Atalanta in the quarterfinals. After finishing third in the Premier League, the 2019 champions will return to the UCL and hopefully, make a deep run.
Barca will also have a new gaffer this upcoming season in Hansi Flick, the former Germany and Bayern boss. Xavi was let go following the conclusion of the campaign where the Catalans finished 10 points behind Real Madrid in the LaLiga title race. In the Champions League, Barcelona was beaten 6-4 on aggregate by PSG in the last eight. They’ve had minimal success in the competition over the last number of years and with so many powerful clubs also in the UCL, it’s hard to imagine them winning it all next spring.
To me, the no-brainer pick is Real Madrid. They’re truly rock solid from front to back and with Mbappe as well, it’s a whole different beast. It would not surprise me if Los Blancos repeated.
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