Football fans are eagerly awaiting the start of the new season (2024-25) of the UEFA Champions League, which will feature 36 teams instead of the usual 32. UEFA has decided to expand the tournament, introducing a new format called the "League Round" to replace the group stage. Each club will play 8 matches, based on an automatic draw, with the top 8 teams in the standings advancing to the round of 16.
The rest of the round of 16 will be completed by knockout matches between teams ranked 9th to 24th, while the bottom 12 clubs will be eliminated early. The first matches of this new stage are set for September 17, with the tournament concluding on May 31, 2025, at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
Manchester City is the top favorite to win the UEFA Champions League
Manchester City is the top favorite to win this year's Champions League According to "Opta" via its advanced computer predictions, Manchester City is the frontrunner to win the Champions League this season, with a 25.3% chance. Real Madrid ranks second with an 18.2% chance, followed by Inter Milan in third place at 10.9%. Arsenal sits fourth with 6.3%, while Bayer Leverkusen, Barcelona, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich follow, all with varying chances.
Paris Saint-Germain is tied with Bayern Munich at 4.1%, while Leipzig rounds out the top ten candidates with a 2.4% chance. Notably, there are 9 clubs with 0% chances of winning the Champions League according to the Opta analysis, including Stade Brest and Red Bull Salzburg.
Real Madrid remains the most successful team in the history of the competition, with 15 Champions League titles, the latest being in the 2023-24 season.