Champions League soccer betting

In the soccer world, only the FIFA World Cup outranks the Champions League for importance, prestige and betting action. Bookmakers do a roaring trade in futures markets, group betting, matchday wagers, and all sorts of props, exotics and soccer betting specials. This in-depth guide will tell you all you need to know about betting on Champions League soccer, including which bookies offer the best deals.

Best Aussie bookmakers to bet on the Champions League soccer with

You love your football and want to have a crack at the Champions League winner, but you need a good bookie. We have sounded out the best online bookmakers to help ensure you get top odds and wide-ranging markets on the Champions League, along with the best specials in Australia. Make sure you sign up with one or more of them so you can compare prices and take full advantage of advantage of the betting options.

• BetEasy.com.au
• Sportsbet.com.au
• Bet365.com.au
• PalmerBet.com.au

History of the UEFA Champions League

First played in 1955 when it was known as the European Cup, the UEFA Champions League pits the 32 best teams from across Europe against each other in a gruelling campaign for continental glory. It is the single most viewed annual sporting event in the world, with more than 360 million people tuning in each year.

Formerly a knockout cup between the winners of each major league in Europe, the Champions League was coined as such in 1992, superseding the European Cup, and adding group stages and more teams, meaning runners up and top four finishers could qualify. There are 22 teams that receive direct entry to the competition in each year, while 10 others have to qualify through a series of playoffs.

The group stage, which begins each September and runs until December, features 32 teams broken up into groups of four, with the top two from each section advancing to the knockout phase after they play each other twice, home and away. It is then whittled down to eight teams, then four, then the final two teams standing off in the final, usually at the end of May.

Tips for betting on the Champions League

Back the big guns in the group stages: Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City – they always qualify, so direct your money there. You won’t get the greatest of odds, but easy money is always good money.

Rely on history: Past winners know how it is done, so that’s where you should start. Since the Champions League brand was adopted in 1992, every single final has featured at least one former winner.

The best players in the world shine in the Champions League: Your money always feels safe with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Prolific finishers like that pair are just out and out guns who look after you more often than not in goalscoring markets.

Bet types available on the Champions League

There are hundreds of different bet types available on the world’s premier soccer competition. Here are just a few of the key ones.

Futures:

Tournament winner – Who will win the Champions League?
Final quinella – Which two teams will battle it out in the Champions League final?
Group winners – Which team will finish top of their group?
To qualify – Which teams will make it out of their group?
Top goal scorer – Which player will score the most goals in the Champions League?

Match betting

As with any game of soccer, there are a raft of bet types available on each game, from win-draw-win bets, to first goalscorer bets, player exotics, how many corners and correct score, among a plethora of others.

2018/19 Champions League title betting

Best Champions League club and player performances

• Most European Cup titles
  
  Real Madrid (12)
  Milan (7)
  Bayern Munich (5)
  Barcelona (5)
  Liverpool (5)
  Ajax (4)
• All-time top goalscorers
  
  Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – 109 – Manchester United, Real Madrid
  Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 96 – Barcelona
  Raul (Spain) – 71 – Real Madrid, Shalke 04
  Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands) – 56 – PSV, Manchester United, Real Madrid
  Karim Benzema (France) – 51 – Lyon, Real Madrid
  Thierry Henry (France) – 50 – Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona
  Alfredo Di Stefano (Argentina) – 49 – Real Madrid
  Andrey Shevchenko (Ukraine) – 48 – Dynamo Kiev, Milan, Chelsea
  Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) – 48 – Ajax, Juventus, Internazionale, Barcelona, Milan, Paris St Germain
  Eusebio (Portugal) – 46 – Benfica
  Filippo Inzaghi (Italy) – 46 – Juventus, Milan
• Most appearances as a player
  
  Iker Casillas (Spain) – 166 – Real Madrid, Porto
  Xavi (Spain) – 151 – Barcelona
  Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – 142 – Manchester United, Real Madrid
  Raul (Spain) – 142 – Real Madrid, Schalke 04
  Ryan Giggs (Wales) – 141 – Manchester United
  Paolo Maldini (Italy) – 128 – Milan
  Clarence Seedorf (Netherlands) – 125 – Ajax, Real Madrid, Internazionale, Milan
  Paul Scholes (England) – 124 – Manchester United
  Roberto Carlos (Brazil) – 120 – Real Madrid, Fenerbahce
  Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) – 119 – Ajax, Juventus, Internazionale, Barcelona, Milan, Paris St Germain
  
• Past Champions League winners
  2017-18 Real Madrid (Spain) def Liverpool (England) – 3-1
  2016-17 Real Madrid (Spain) def Juventus (Italy) – 4-1
  2015-16 Real Madrid (Spain) def Atlético Madrid (Spain) – 1-1 (5–3)
  2014-15 Barcelona (Spain) def Juventus (Italy) – 3-1
  2013-14 Real Madrid (Spain) def Atlético Madrid (Spain) – 4-1
  2012-13 Bayern Munich (Germany) def Borussia Dortmund (Germany) – 2-1
  2011-12 Chelsea (England) def Bayern Munich (Germany) – 1-1 (4–3)
  2010-11 Barcelona (Spain) def Manchester United (England) – 3-1
  2009-10 Internazionale (Italy) def Bayern Munich (Germany) – 2-0
  2008-09 Barcelona (Spain) def Manchester United (England) – 2-0
  2007-08 Manchester United (England) def Chelsea (England) – 1-1 (6–5)
  2006-07 Milan (Italy) def Liverpool (England) – 2-1
  2005-06 Barcelona (Spain) def Arsenal (England) – 2-1
  2004-05 Liverpool (England) def Milan (Italy) – 3-3 (3-2)
  2003-04 Porto (Portugal) def Monaco (France) – 3-0
  2002-03 Milan (Italy) def Juventus (Italy) – 0-0
  2001-02 Real Madrid (Spain) def Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) – 2-1
  2000-01 Bayern Munich (Germany) def Valencia (Spain) – 1-1
  1999-2000 Real Madrid (Spain) def Valencia (Spain) – 3-0
  1998-99 Manchester United (England) def Bayern Munich (Germany) – 2-1
  1997-98 Real Madrid (Spain) def Juventus (Italy) – 1-0
  1996-97 Borussia Dortmund (Germany) def Juventus (Italy) – 3-1
  1995-96 Juventus (Italy) def Ajax (Netherlands) – 1-1
  1994-95 Ajax (Netherlands) def Milan (Italy) – 1-0
  1993-94 Milan (Italy) def Barcelona (Spain) – 4-0
  1992-93 Marseille (France) def Milan (Italy) – 1-0
  1991-92 Barcelona (Spain) def Sampdoria (Italy) – 1-0
  1990-91 Red Star Belgrade (Yugoslavia) def Marseille (France) – 0-0*
  1989-90 Milan (Italy) def Benfica (Portugal) – 1-0
  1988-89 Milan (Italy) def Steaua Bucureşti (Romania) – 4-0
  1987-88 PSV (Netherlands) def Benfica (Portugal) – 0-0
  1986-87 Porto (Portugal) def Bayern Munich (West Germany) – 2-1
  1985-86 Steaua Bucureşti (Romania) def Barcelona (Spain) – 0-0
  1984-85 Juventus (Italy) def Liverpool (England) – 1-0
  1983-84 Liverpool (England) def Roma (Italy) – 1-1
  1982-83 Hamburg (West Germany) def Juventus (Italy) – 1-0
  1981-82 Aston Villa (England) def Bayern Munich (West Germany) – 1-0
  1980-81 Liverpool (England) def Real Madrid (Spain) – 1-0
  1979-80 Nottingham Forest (England) def Hamburg (West Germany) – 1-0
  1978-79 Nottingham Forest (England) def Malmö FF (Sweden) – 1-0
  1977-78 Liverpool (England) def Club Brugge (Belgium) – 1-0
  1976-77 Liverpool (England) def Borussia Mönchengladbach (West Germany) – 3-1
  1975-76 Bayern Munich (West Germany) def Saint-Etienne (France) – 1-0
  1974-75 Bayern Munich (West Germany) def Leeds United (England) – 2-0
  1973-74 Bayern Munich (West Germany) def Atlético Madrid (Spain) – 1-1
  1973-74 Replay Bayern Munich (West Germany) def Atlético Madrid (Spain) – 4-0
  1972-73 Ajax (Netherlands) def Juventus (Italy) – 1-0
  1971-72 Ajax (Netherlands) def Internazionale (Italy) – 2-0
  1970-71 Ajax (Netherlands) def Panathinaikos (Greece) – 2-0
  1969-70 Feyenoord (Netherlands) def Celtic (Scotland) – 2-1
  1968-69 Milan (Italy) def Ajax (Netherlands) – 4-1
  1967-68 Manchester United (England) def Benfica (Portugal) – 4-1
  1966-67 Celtic (Scotland) def Internazionale (Italy) – 2-1
  1965-66 Real Madrid (Spain) def Partizan (Yugoslavia) – 2-1
  1964-65 Internazionale (Italy) def Benfica (Portugal) – 1-0
  1963-64 Internazionale (Italy) def Real Madrid (Spain) – 3-1
  1962-63 Milan (Italy) def Benfica (Portugal) – 2-1
  1961-62 Benfica (Portugal) def Real Madrid (Spain) – 5-3
  1960-61 Benfica (Portugal) def Barcelona (Spain) – 3-2
  1959-60 Real Madrid (Spain) def Eintracht Frankfurt (West Germany) – 7-3
  1958-59 Real Madrid (Spain) def Stade de Reims (France) – 2-0
  1957-58 Real Madrid (Spain) def Milan (Italy) – 3-2
  1956-57 Real Madrid (Spain) def Fiorentina (Italy) – 2-0
  1955-56 Real Madrid (Spain) def Stade de Reims (France) – 4-3

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