The Favourites to Win the First Edition of the Brand New UCL Format
The UEFA Champions League is football’s biggest club competition, and in the 2024/25 season, it will undergo its most significant format change of the 21st century.
The tournament has traditionally featured thrilling knockout-stage matches, but with the new initial phase featuring eight fixtures and a Swiss-style league format, there will be drama and high stakes from the very beginning.
The expanded version of the competition will likely be tougher to win, as the eventual champions will have played more fixtures and overcome more European heavyweights than ever before.
Here, we’ll examine the key contenders to win this historic edition of the UEFA Champions League and why they have strong credentials.
Manchester City
Manchester City won their first-ever European title in the 2022/23 season by lifting the UCL trophy in Istanbul. Heading into this campaign, they are the outright favourites to become two-time champions, offered at 11/4 in a bet on sports.
The sports betting tips suggest they are also the most likely team to finish first in the league phase, and from there, their momentum could be tough to stop.
In last season’s competition, City were disappointingly knocked out by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals on penalties, despite having heavily dominated over the two legs. The tie demonstrated why City have regularly been the favourite to win the UCL under Pep Guardiola, but it also highlighted how complacency can be their downfall.
3 points back to Manchester! 💙 pic.twitter.com/USxCTrxMKu
— Kevin De Bruyne (@KevinDeBruyne) August 31, 2024
Ultimately, City possesses remarkable squad depth, with standouts like John Stones, Rodri Hernandez and Kevin de Bruyne being major factors in why they are deserved favourites. However, proven quality alone doesn’t guarantee success on the grandest stage.
City showed some tactical weaknesses in the most recent knockout stage, and they will need to be stronger this time around to avoid falling short as favourites again.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid is synonymous with success in the Champions League, boasting a record 15 titles. This season, they could add another to that tally.
Los Blancos as a team are expected to go far in the inaugural season of the new format – they are positioned narrowly behind City in the winner odds, offered at 7/2 to be champions again.
Mi nueva casa. ¡Hala Madrid! 🏟️😍😃 @realmadrid pic.twitter.com/2XWvNTgNqQ
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) July 17, 2024
Madrid’s already strong squad, which achieved European glory last season, was further bolstered over the summer by the acquisition of Kylian Mbappe, one of the best players in the world. This addition makes them ideally positioned to defend their crown.
Carlo Ancelotti’s reign has been characterised by fluidity and perseverance on the pitch, and the team’s new starman fits into that perfectly. He brings a dynamic, game-changing presence and is one of the sport’s greatest athletes.
Even if Madrid hadn’t made any new signings since the last UCL campaign, they would have been among the favourites. With Mbappe now on board, they are even better equipped to challenge City for the title.
Arsenal
Outside of City and Madrid, the remaining 34 participating teams are all considered outsiders, albeit at varying levels of the competitive spectrum. However, Arsenal is seen as the most likely to succeed if the top two falter, with odds of 8/1.
Mikel Arteta has so far won just one trophy in five years at The Emirates, but a successful UCL campaign could dramatically enhance his legacy by the end of 2024/25.
Last season, Arsenal proved themselves to be defensively strong, but they will need to be more prolific in attack if they are to go all the way. Arteta signed Raheem Sterling to boost his attacking ranks over the summer, and he could offer the team a level of pace and directness from the bench.
While this current Arsenal squad still doesn’t look like a team ready to secure the first UCL success in the club’s history, on paper, they are the team most likely to disrupt the leading favourites’ path to glory.
Several other elite European teams can also not be counted out of this year’s competition based on reputation alone; Bayern Munich and Liverpool especially should not be forgotten about. Whatever happens in this historic campaign for UEFA, a truly elite and historic team is set to prosper. City and Madrid will expect to decide the winner between themselves, but the competition is well known for delivering the unexpected.