Introduction to betting on the Champions League

Renowned for its spine-tingling and iconic anthem that resounds around stadiums ahead of kick-off, the Champions League is one of, if not the most eagerly anticipated club competition in Europe. Fans congregate to cheer on their team and along the way, there are many upsets – whether it is at the group stage or the knockout stage of the tournament. Since its revamp in 1993, the Champions League has become one of the most popular soccer tournaments to bet on.

There have been many memorable moments throughout the competition’s history and there have been many great players lighting up the Champions League. From Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to Alessandro Del Piero and Raul, fans have witnessed a smorgasbord of cracking goals. Through Comeon.com, there are many great betting avenues. In the next section, we will scratch beneath the surface by looking at what types of bets crop up and what markets can be explored.

Champions League betting markets to be explored

From when the competition begins in earnest in September with the group stages, there are many ways you can bet on the Champions League. A good starting point is to bet on the simple match result. Here, all you need to do is predict who will win and you will be presented with three options – home win, away win or the draw. So for example, if Manchester United were facing Midtjylland, you could put £10 on a United win.

If the odds on a United win were 2/1 and you put £10 on the Red Devils to prevail, then you would get £20 back if your bet wins. The match result is a good starting point for any bettor and in the Champions League group stages, there are more surprise results than in the latter rounds of the competition. In the next section, we will look at more sophisticated bets, which may appeal to bettors.

Aside from the simple match result, there are more adventurous markets that can be explored. For any given Champions League fixture, there will be a plethora of markets that bettors can delve into. For example, you can predict the number of goals scored, so if Juventus were facing Marseille, you could guess that Juve could win and with +2.5 goals scored. So if Juve won and there were three goals or more scored, your bet would win.

Alternatively, a popular betting market may be the first goalscorer or anytime goalscorer. The first goalscorer market refers to who will score first, and strikers garner lower odds compared to defenders. The anytime goalscorer market refers to who will score a goal throughout the course of the 90 minutes. Some players come alive at any moment, so you could put money on PSG striker Kylian Mbappe to score anytime during a match and get decent odds provided by bookmakers.

Making the most of Asian Handicap betting for Champions League

Asian Handicap betting encompasses weighing the outcome of the match where there will be a perceived favourite. If Chelsea were facing FC Copenhagen, Chelsea would be the natural favorites. The Blues could therefore be given a negative start of -2.0 goals, and so you would have to be confident that Chelsea could win by three goals or more to secure a return on your bet. A 2-0 win would be seen as a draw in the bookmaker’s eyes.

The other way that Asian Handicap betting works in the Champions League is where your bet is based on a half of a match. So in the case of Chelsea, if they were -1.0 goals, they would be behind by a goal. If they score more than one goal over the course of 45 minutes, then your bet will come through. In football, you can’t score a half goal, so the bet will be settled one way or another.

Champions League betting strategies that you should adopt

As with any bet for a Champions League game, it is vital that you are meticulous in the research you carry out. If Roma were facing Ferencvaros, but their Serie A form had been woeful in the run-up to the clash, then you would think twice about backing them. Always study a side’s form and their sequence of results, as that will give you a clearer idea of the mood within the camp and their approach to the game.

Within every team, there may well be times of internal turmoil. This could cover a lot of things, but particularly injuries and those to key players. If Liverpool were in Champions League action and they were missing attacking duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, they would be significantly weaker. There would be more reliance on the supporting cast, but injuries at the wrong times can hurt teams. Always factor this into what types of bet you carry out.

Champions League betting strategies that should be avoided

While betting on the Champions League can be fraught with unpredictability, there are some habits that bettors should avoid. Firstly, don’t always side with the favourite. While it’s not a good idea to follow the crowd, the favorites will generally be priced much shorter and therefore it isn’t a value bet. Games where teams may have slightly longer odds could ultimately be more profitable in the long run if you decide to back them and they win.

As another general rule of thumb when it comes to Champions League betting, always be wary of in-play betting. While in-play betting can be thrilling as you can follow the live action as it happens, be aware of patterns that emerge in games. Be sensible and if you have a bet on a side to win 1-0 and they are leading with 10 minutes to go, then cash out, as a late equalizer will otherwise ruin your bet!

Champions League History

Knowing about the history of the competition is fundamental. Real Madrid is the Champions League’s most decorated team with 13 titles, while Liverpool is England’s most successful team (six titles). Ronaldo is the competition’s all-time highest goalscorer, with 131 goals to his name, with his long-term nemesis Messi in second on 117 goals. The competition, since its revamp in 1993, has been littered with some fabulous moments and it still enthralls fans all over the world today.