Champions League betting

UEFA officials have become used to Monaco in August and who can blame them? The principality boasts a fascinating mixture of Mediterranean sunshine, enormous yachts, European glitterati and a certain je ne sais quoi . Where else could the draw for the latest Champions League tournament possibly take place? Where else would one like to mull over one’s Champions League betting strategy?

Fans of teams involved in the competition do not care a jot about where the draw is made (good news for UEFA officials), but they are interested in whether their team can make progress in one of the globe’s most lucrative sporting tournaments. The Champions League attracts a significant number of bets from UK-based punters – hardly surprising given the success British football teams have enjoyed in the competition. As a consequence, Champions League betting has, as one bookmaker said recently, become “ a substantial part of my business.”

Indeed, Champions League betting has boomed in recent years as making a Champions League bet following the August draw has become a must-do task for most punters, many of whom stake their wager via the internet.

Bookmakers are mindful of this and, not surprisingly, their betting odds are designed to appeal to the widest number of punters.

In the UK, UEFA Champions League betting is undoubtedly underpinned by the success enjoyed by British teams. Ever since Celtic became the first British side to win the old European Cup in 1967, the competition has held a special place in football fan’s hearts. Of course Liverpool, stand head and shoulders above the rest, having been crowned European champions five times, although there’ll be no Champions League bets staked on the Reds this season.

In their place are Spurs, sure to boost UK-related Champions League football betting. Indeed, prompted by a ready access to a raft of authoritative betting tips, punters have been prepared to look wider afield.

Folk placing their Champions League bet will notice that Barcelona are once again clear favourites though more bets are expected on Jose Mourinho’s new employers, Real Madrid.

This season, many a bet on Champions League outcomes will invariably focus on Jose’s ability to succeed. Indeed, bookmakers have already been swamped with punters prepared to back the Portuguese to win the trophy for the third time as a coach, on this occasion with Real Madrid.

However, betting on Champions League outcomes is notoriously difficult. Unlike in Real’s heyday, no side in the Champions League era has managed to win it in consecutive seasons, hence Champions League betting, while increasing, has also become much more considered. Betting odds naturally fluctuate during the tournament’s qualifying phase, though once the group stages begins, as they soon will, so the volume of Champions League bets increases.

For most fans, Champions League betting has become something to look forward to, despite the difficulty in selecting a winner!