UEFA Champions League Betting Odds
Champions League Match Betting Odds (2026/27)
Below are the full-time result odds for the upcoming Champions League matches. Simply tap on 1, X or 2 to compare odds from Irish bookmakers.
Understanding the New Champions League Format
The 2024-25 season came with significant changes for the UEFA competitions, including the Champions League, as the group stage was scrapped completely. Instead of the classic format, there is now a 'league phase' with all clubs listed in the same standings. There are also a total of 36 participating clubs instead of the previous 32.
While the group stage has been replaced, the qualification stage and the knockout stage have remained unchanged. The only exception is that one more team makes it through the qualification stage. We recommend checking out the official Champions League website if you want to find out more about how the qualification works, as it can be a bit complicated.
As for the new league phase, it consists of 36 teams that play eight games against eight different opponents each (home or away). The opponents are decided by the four ranking pots, which were previously used for the group-stage draw, as two teams from each pot are drawn. As per UEFA, this guarantees opponents of ranging quality.
At the end of the league phase, the teams in positions 1-8 qualify for the knockout phase. Those in positions 9-16, on the other hand, face one of the teams in positions 17-24 in a knockout play-off tie over two legs. The former group of teams is seeded and thus gets the advantage of playing the return leg at home.
The drawback of this new format, without a doubt, is the added games. In order to reach the knockout phase, a team must play at least 8 games (at most 10) instead of 6 as the previous format had it. Interestingly, none of the teams that get eliminated from the league phase will drop down to the Europa League, as was previously the case.
Who Owns the Champions League TV Rights in the UK?
TNT Sports extended its coverage of the Champions League in 2022, buying the UK broadcasting rights for 2024-2027, but the company lost exclusivity in the process. Therefore, 187 games will be shown by TNT Sport and Amazon's Prime Video will show the remaining 17 games. It should be noted that Prime Video only has rights to Tuesday-night games, while TNT Sports still has exclusivity for the Europa League and the Conference League.
Interesting Facts About the Champions League
League table rules: It feels strange to talk about the Champions League as a proper league, with the group stage being so iconic, but the new format means there is a league table.
As mentioned, the top eight teams qualify for the knockout games while teams finishing in the positions 9-16 (seeded) and 17-24 (unseeded) square off in a two-legged play-off tie. Should two teams finish on the same number of points, then goal difference decides the outcome.
Kick-off times: Although the format has changed, the same cannot be said for the kick-off slots. The games, of which there are now more, are still being played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 20:00. There are also a few 17:45 games, but the emphasis is on few there.
The highest honour: Most footballers consider the Champions League to be the highest honour in club football, seeing just how difficult it is to go all the way.
Clubs such as Real Madrid (15 titles) and AC Milan (7) have long been praised for their runs in the competition, even if the Rossoneri are relying more on the past than the Bernabéu side.
