2024-25 Champions League futures: Man City slightly ahead of holders Real Madrid

The upcoming domestic campaign is right around the corner, which means we’re also only a couple of months out from the beginning of the 2024-25 Champions League campaign. Real Madrid won their record 15th title last season, beating Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley. After a busy summer that saw them sign Kylian Mbappe, Los Blancos will be an absolute force once again. But, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City is the current favorite to lift the trophy, while the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, and Barcelona could be in the mix as well next spring.

Manchester City

City won the treble in 2022-23 and finally conquered their Champions League demons, taking down Inter Milan in the showpiece. They looked well on their way to winning another last season before coming up against Madrid in the quarterfinals, who beat them on penalties across two legs. Yes, the Sky Blues did still win the Premier League once again, but there’s no doubt they want to be the kings of Europe for a second time. There haven’t been many changes to the squad this summer, with Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, and Julian Alvarez the key pieces up top. Rodri of course is the heartbeat of Pep’s midfield. City has +225 UCL odds at 888sport.

Real Madrid

Is anyone going to come even close to Madrid in 2024-25? Carlo Ancelotti’s side is absolutely stacked. Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and now Mbappe as well. Oh, Brazilian starlet Endrick has now arrived at the Bernabeu, too. Los Blancos were brilliant en route to their UCL triumph last term and considering how good this squad is, it’s hard to imagine anyone beating them in Europe’s most prized competition and that includes City. Real is built for success for years to come and can become a legitimate dynasty in Europe and of course, in LaLiga, too. Los Blancos have the second-best Champions League odds at soccer betting sites.

Arsenal

The Gunners made their return to Champions League football last season and made it to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by German giants Bayern Munich. Arsenal has improved a lot over the last couple of years and has been in the Premier League title race alongside Man City. Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Declan Rice, and Gabriel Martinelli all enjoyed fantastic 2023-24 campaigns, helping the Gunners make their presence felt both domestically and in Europe. Perhaps they may not win a UCL title, but you can expect Arsenal in the knockout stages again at the very least. 

Liverpool

It’s hard to know what to expect out of Liverpool in 2024-25. Jurgen Klopp stepped down, which means former Feyenoord boss Arne Slot is now at the helm. He has no experience outside of the Netherlands, but the Reds aren’t one to not do their due diligence on a manager. When it comes to the squad, there are just about no changes. It just remains to be seen how Slot’s tactics will play at Anfield. The Merseysiders were in the Europa League last season.