The 2022-23 UEFA Champions League will kick off on September 6 with the first group stage matchday. The Champions League tournament is the biggest club soccer event in the world with 32 of the best teams in Europe battling for the richest prize in club soccer.

Thirty-two teams will compete in the Champions League group stage with 16 teams progressing to the knockout stage. The FIFA World Cup will take place in November and December, meaning that the 2022-23 Champions League group stage must finish by early November. 

The timeline for this season’s Champions League means that the group stage will be a sprint. The short timeframe for the group stage means that anything can happen and an unlikely team could advance to the knockout rounds.

The top European teams competing in this season’s  Champions League will have a large number of games packed into a short timeframe.

The Champions League’s matches will take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays giving you the chance to wager on some of the most exciting soccer games.

Champions League Outright Winner Odds

Manchester City are the Champions League favourite to win the competition. Manchester City have been the favourite to win the Champions League for several years now, yet the English team has failed to lift the trophy. Will this season be any different?

• Man City +250
• Paris Saint Germain +500
• Liverpool +550
• Bayern Munich +650
• Real Madrid +900
• Tottenham +1400
• Chelsea +1600
• Barcelona +2000
• Atletico Madrid +2800
• Juventus +4000
• Borussia Dortmund +5000
• Inter Milan +5000
• AC Milan +6600
• Ajax +10000
• RB Leipzig +10000
• FC Porto +15000
• Napoli +15000
• Salzburg +15000
• Bayer Leverkusen +20000
• Sevilla +25000
• Celtic +25000
• Eintracht Frankfurt +25000
• Rangers +25000
• Benfica +25000
• Marseille +40000
• Sporting Lisbon +50000
• Club Brugge +50000
• FC Copenhagen +75000
• Shakhtar Donetsk +100000
• Dinamo Zagreb +100000
• Viktoria Plzen +100000
• Maccabi Haifa +150000

When does the 2022-23 Champions League begin?

The 2022-23 UEFA Champions League will start the group stage on Tuesday, September 6. The group stage will finish on Wednesday, November 2.

The round of 16 will then begin on Tuesday, February 14. The final for the Champions League will take place in June, far later than in recent seasons due to the FIFA World Cup, which will be played in November and December 2022. 

• Group Stage: Tuesday, September 6 to Wednesday, November 2
• Round of 16: Tuesday, February 14 to Wednesday, March 15
• Quarterfinals: Tuesday, April 11 to Wednesday, April 19
• Semifinals: Tuesday, May 9 to Wednesday, May 17
• Final: Saturday, June 10

The 2022-23 Champions League Final will be played at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.

Which team won the Champions League in 2021-22?

Man City is once again the favorite according to leading sportsbooks to win the tournament. However, the Cityzens failed at the semifinal stage last season, losing to Real Madrid.

Paris Saint-Germain was also one of the favorites in 2021-22, but like Man City, the Parisians fell short. Real Madrid also knocked out Paris.

It is incredibly difficult to repeat as Champions League winners, but if there is a team that can do it, it is Real Madrid. Bayern Munich also looks strong in the early stages of the season.

Bayern has rebuilt this offseason adding some younger, hungry players than what was available last term.

Sportsbooks such as Bet365 are offering 1/2 odds on an each-way bet. A pre-tournament outright winner each-way bet on either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich may not be the worst idea.