Champions League Predictions & Tips

Manchester United vs Galatasaray

  • Both teams to score 2 or more goals
  • Man United to win, BTTS and over 3.5 goals
  • Man United to win 3-2

Manchester United have been abysmal in the early stages of the season and their poor run of form continued with an embarrassing defeat at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Football betting punters will be very wary of backing the Red Devils against Galatasaray on Tuesday night and you can expect a nervy atmosphere at Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag’s side have lost four of their first seven Premier League matches and even the most ardent supporter of the Dutchman would admit that he is under pressure.

United were third in the Premier League table last term but the 20-time English champions have shown little quality in the opening few months of the campaign.

The Red Devils lost 4-3 to Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener but that result flattered United and it could’ve been much worse for Ten Hag’s men.

Galatasaray showed resilience to battle back and earn a draw against Copenhagen, notching two late goals to get off the mark in the group.

With tough fixtures against United and Bayern Munich approaching, it was important for the Turkish team to get off to a positive start.

Both teams to score looks like a solid bet here and I wouldn’t put anyone off backing over 1.5 goals for both teams. Without a doubt, United will both create chances and gift chances to their opponents.

Having said that, you’d imagine that the Red Devils have enough quality to claim three points and a home win and over 3.5 goals is well worth considering too.

Expect entertainment under the Old Trafford floodlights. It won’t be an easy watch but Ten Hag will be hoping for three points or else more serious questions may be asked.

Inter vs Benfica Preview

  • Over 2.5 Goals
  • Inter to lead at half-time
  • Inter to win 3-1

Inter’s draw with Real Sociedad and Benfica’s loss to Salzburg makes this a relatively high stakes game by matchday two standards.

The hosts are naturally sports betting favourites, and they come into this match on the back of a 4-0 win over Salernitana at the weekend.

Davide Frattesi, Marko Arnautovic, Stefano Sensi and Juan Cuadrado are all out for the hosts, while Antonio Silva is unavailable for Benfica after being shown a red card in the defeat to Salzburg. 

It had been a scorching start to the season for Inter prior to their draw on matchday one. That was followed by league defeat to Sassuolo. Dropping points to Benfica would ramp up the pressure in a group they were expected to win.

Benfica beat Porto at the weekend, making it six consecutive Liga Portugal victories this term.

They have fresh memories of facing this Inter team after losing in the quarter-finals last season by an aggregate score of 5-3. Revenge will be on the minds of the visitors on Tuesday night.

Inter boss Simone Inzaghi gave mixed reviews of his team’s performance against Salernitana. “We expected Salernitana to play with a different shape. But we had to do better.

“I have many experienced players who know how to play in these matches. We created a lot but needed to do better out of possession. But then in the second half we fixed the issues.

“I said before played Monza, what we want to do this year is to play as many matches as possible.”

One way to ‘play as many matches as possible’ is to put together another deep Champions League run. Inter need to convert home matches into three-point hauls if they are to do so.

It was an entertaining tie earlier this year, and we’re expecting a similar story on Tuesday. Take over 2.5 goals.

Napoli vs Real Madrid Preview

  • Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals
  • Napoli to win, Both Teams to Score & Over 3.5 goals
  • Napoli to win 3-1

Napoli and Real Madrid beat Braga and Union Berlin respectively to open their Champions League campaigns.

These sides are expected to progress from the section, and a win for either side here would be a huge step towards qualification.

It is a sports betting occasion to tantalise neutrals. Napoli are a team of entertainers, who went to the last four in this competition last season. Real Madrid are embracing a new era, led by the supreme talents of Jude Bellingham. 

David Alaba, Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao and Arda Guler are all unavailable for Real. Centre backs Amir Rrahmani and Juan Jesus are both out for the hosts. 

Carlo Ancelotti was criticised following Real Madrid’s loss to Atletico last month, but he has stuck by his principles and should name a diamond for this fixture.

Ancelotti returns to a club he was fired by and would love to leave with three points. Real have won their last two matches without conceding a goal, while Napoli have hammered Udinese and Lecce.

The Italian was delighted with his team’s showing against Girona – they will need more of the same against an in-form Napoli.

Ancelotti said, “The team was good. It was a solid and forceful match from us. We knew the damage that they could do, Girona plays good football.

“We have done damage when we could and we controlled things in the defensive phase. Solidity is the most important thing in these matches.

“We focused on defence. They are a team that attacks very well. We closed the lines well and the defence played very well.”

This match is a must-watch. It really could go either way, but there’s no doubt it’ll be entertaining for 90 minutes in Naples. BTTS and over 2.5 is our pick.

Borussia Dortmund vs Milan Preview

  • Dortmund to Win
  • Both Teams to Score in Both Halves
  • Dortmund to win 3-2

Both teams are on the back foot heading into this match. Borussia Dortmund lost away to PSG, and will be facing an uphill battle to qualify if they lose here. Milan failed to beat Newcastle at home, putting severe pressure on them to secure a win on the road.

Early football betting markets tab Dortmund as slight favourites here, though it’s bound to be a competitive match at Signal Iduna Park.

Milan beat Lazio at the weekend to move to three consecutive victories. Dortmund saw off Hoffenheim, giving them a confidence boost ahead of a match which will have a huge impact on this group.

Defeat here would leave the Black and Yellows needing at least three wins from their last four group stage matches.

Dortmund boss Edin Terzic was critical of his team after the loss to PSG.

“You can put it nicely and say we showed them too much respect. Or you can say that we simply lacked courage. We wanted to be much more courageous and put the opponent under pressure much earlier and much more aggressively.

“We had a lot of unnecessary ball losses. When you win the ball but give it away after three seconds, it makes things even more difficult.

“We changed to a 3-4-3 in the second half and things looked a bit better. In the end though, we deserved the defeat. When you make these mistakes in the Champions League, you get punished.”

Milan didn’t show much against Newcastle to indicate they can get a result at Dortmund. At 11/8, there’s superb value backing a home win here.

We expect Dortmund to respond to Terzic’s post-match comments from Paris.

Newcastle United vs PSG Preview

  • Kylian Mbappe to score anytime, PSG to win & BTTS
  • Over 3.5 goals
  • Draw half-time, PSG full-time

After seeing off Borussia Dortmund on matchday one, PSG are in pole position in the group ahead of their trip to Newcastle.

The Magpies, though, are in fine form, having backed up their 8-0 win over Sheffield United with successive victories. This is perhaps the pick of this week’s Champions League betting encounters.

Having appeared to break through with a pair of impressive wins, PSG suffered a setback at the weekend in the shape of a goalless draw with Clermont Foot.

Luis Enrique’s team are still something of a work in progress, but that does not lessen the expectation ahead of their evening at St James’ Park.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is relishing this Champions League experience, and has belief in his team ahead of PSG’s arrival.

“I think if we can go into any of these Champions League games that we face in confident mood and good form and rhythm, then it gives us the best chance of being successful.

“We want to carry that as long as we can. I think we’re in a good moment. Defensively, we’re very good, and we look like we can score, we should have scored more (against Burnley). I think the mood is very strong.”

Howe spoke highly of Burnley after Newcastle’s weekend win, and praised his team’s overall performance.

“There’s no such thing as a regulation win. It was a tough game. We anticipated a tough game, I think Burnley are a really interesting team. I think Vincent (Kompany) has done a great job…

“You have to deliver your game plan well, and I thought we did, probably after the first ten minutes when we were a little bit slow out of the blocks. I thought we recovered really well, and I thought we deserved to win.”

As well-coached as Burnley are, they are a slightly different challenge to Kylian Mbappe. Newcastle have defended well, but punters are bound to be tempted by the Frenchman to score anytime at 23/20.

We’re envisaging another belting Champions League match here in front of a bouncing Geordie crowd. Goals are inevitable – over 3.5 is our best bet.


When does the Champions League 2023/24 begin?

  • Matchday one: September 19-20

  • Matchday two: October 3-4

  • Matchday three: October 24-25

  • Matchday four: November 7-8

  • Matchday five: November 28-29

  • Matchday six: December 12-13

What is the group stage draw for the Champions League?

  • Group A: Bayern, Man United, Copenhagen, Galatasaray

  • Group B: Sevilla, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Lens

  • Group C: Napoli Real Madrid, Braga, Union Berlin

  • Group D: Benfica, Inter, Salzburg, Real Sociedad

  • Group E: Feyenoord, Atlético Madrid, Lazio, Celtic

  • Group F: PSG, Dortmund, Milan, Newcastle

  • Group G: Man City, Leipzig, Red Star, Young Boys

  • Group H: Barcelona, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Antwerp


Champions League Bet of the Day

The Champions League is the most prestigious competition in club football. Starting with qualifying matches in mid-summer, teams from all over the continent battle it out to reach the 32-team group stage.

Those teams are split into eight groups of four. The teams then play each other home and away, with the top two progressing to the last 16. Teams who finish third in their group drop into the Europa League. 

The knockout rounds of the competition are often home to the greatest moments and relate directly to Champions League betting drama.

All of the knockouts take place over two legs, with the aggregate score used to decide which team progresses (extra time and penalties are used to decide ties where aggregates are level after 180 minutes). 

Of course, the goal is reaching the Champions League final, which is a one-off match held in a neutral venue. 

Throughout the course of the competition, our expert football tipsters will provide you with free Champions League predictions.

This page will frequently be updated with our Champions League bet of the day and various other free football tips. 

Champions League Group Predictions

888Sport is your go-to place for Champions League predictions.

Football punters all over the world are searching for betting value when it comes to Europe’s premier competition, and our football prediction experts are here to help you out.

The group stage takes place through the first half of the season. Teams supposedly poised for long unbeaten runs have been toppled by minnows. Failure to qualify from a group has seen the end of many managerial tenures. 

The format lends itself to chaos on matchday six as teams compete for the top two spots.

888Sport brings you regular and well-informed Champions League tips during the group stage, including BTTS, total goals, goal scorer tips and match winner predictions. On occasion, we will dabble with Champions League correct score predictions, too. 

Free Champions League Betting Tips & Predictions

At 888Sport, we have a stacked team of betting experts. Alongside our free Champions League tips, we also have tipsters covering football from all over Europe, along with several other sports.

Daily sports tips are uploaded to the 888Sport blog with dedicated pages for European football predictions, Premier League tips and Championship predictions from one of the best in the business in Football League expert Tony Incenzo.

You can also find tips and predictions on a range of other competitions and sports, including horse racing tips and NFL expert picks. In addition, check out our up-to-date sporting calendar for a full list of the biggest upcoming events.

Check back on this page during the season for our latest 888 tips and free Champions League predictions. We will consistently be monitoring Champions League odds to provide you with the best value picks. 

Outright Champions League Odds

Defending champions Manchester City top the Champions League winner odds for 2023-24. Priced at 2/1 to retain the crown, City are eyeing up back-to-back trebles this season.

As of 29th June 2023, Bayern Munich are second favourites at 7/1 ahead of Real Madrid (9/1) and PSG (10/1).

Runners up in 2022-23, Inter are way out at 33/1 despite having lifted the Champions League trophy on numerous occasions themselves.

Newcastle, who have qualified for the competition for the first time in two decades, are priced at 20/1 to win the competition.

The Magpies have the longest price of any Premier League club with Arsenal and Manchester United at 14s and 16s respectively. 

Key Champions League Dates 2023-24

  • 11th July 2023 – Preliminary qualifying rounds begin

  • 22nd-30th August 2023 – Qualifying Playoff Round

  • 31st August 2023 – Group stage draw

  • 19th-20th September 2023 – Group stage matchday 1

  • 3rd-4th October 2023 – Group stage matchday 2

  • 24th-25th October 2023 – Group stage matchday 3

  • 7th-8th November 2023 – Group stage matchday 4

  • 28th-29th November 2023 – Group stage matchday 5

  • 12th-13th December 2023 – Group stage matchday 6

  • 13th-21st February 2024 – Round of 16 1st legs

  • 5th-13th March 2024 – Round of 16 2nd legs

  • 9th-10th April 2024 – Quarter final 1st legs

  • 16th-17th April 2024 – Quarter final 2nd legs

  • 30th April-1st May 2024 – Semi final 1st legs

  • 7th-8th May 2024 – Semi final 2nd legs

  • 1st June 2024 – Final 


*All of our 888 Experts picks and betting tips can be considered as a suggestion only.*

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.