The Champions League is an integral part of the lives of devoted soccer fans, and in the world of betting, Champions League betting has a huge market share. All over the planet, the matches in this tournament are eagerly awaited. Therefore, let us also talk about what the Champions League is, as well as betting on it.
What is the Champions League / Tournament Rules
The tournament itself was founded in 1955. It is an international tournament organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The Champions League is contested by the teams who have occupied the highest places in the top divisions of their country. Each country has a quota for the number of participants per season.
In fact, the Champions League is the most prestigious club soccer tournament on the continent, attended by the strongest teams, members of UEFA. It is because of the status of the tournament and the struggle of teams from different countries that the tournament enjoys such great popularity.
We’re not going to remember the whole history of the tournament and changes in its rules. Let us briefly note what we have now. The Champions League is divided into three stages: qualification, group stage and playoffs.
The qualification stage consists of four rounds. Each pair plays a home and away match (in season 2020/2021 the places to the next round were played in one match for the first time), the winner on the sum of two meetings goes on. In the next, group stage, there are 8 groups of 4 clubs in each. Each team plays one home and one away match against an opponent. The playoffs are played between 16 teams, which again like in qualification play the strongest on the basis of the sum of two games (home and away). Only in the finals the teams play one match at the stadium which was chosen before the start of the tournament itself.
Features of the Champions League betting
Any tournament, even regardless of the sport has its own format and peculiarities. What is important to know when betting on the Champions League?
In the bookmaker’s line there are bets on the winner of the match and the passage to the next stage – these are different bets. As we have already noted, matches against the same opponent are played on home field and away. In qualification and playoffs there are often situations when the winner is not defined on the sum of the two meetings. And therefore will be played extra time, and can also be a series of penalties. When betting on the outcome you guess how the main time of the match will end. But with pass betting you are trying to determine who will pass to the next stage.
For example, you bet on the return match between Celtic and Rosenborg. The first match ended 1-0 in favor of Celtic. You bet on a win for the visitors in the return leg and the match ends with their victory, also with a score of 1-0. On aggregate, the two games end up being 1-1, with extra time to be played. You do not care how it will end, because the bet P2 is given for the main time of the meeting.
Bets on the favorite have a place only in the qualifying round. The closer to the final, the more equal the opponents are, which means the line between the favorite and the outsider is more and more blurred.
A large number of goals scored. According to statistics, all matches, together with the qualifying round, are played with an average total of 2.8 goals. Of course, the first stage of the tournament is not the least important here, because here the difference in class of the teams is often significantly different.
Extensive line and the difficulty of predicting in the later stages. Because of the popularity of the Champions League around the world bookmaker gives the most extensive line in comparison with other championships. But the closer the teams get to the final stage, the more equal the clubs play each other. The odds of them winning become more and more equal, and that makes it harder to predict.
A heavy schedule associated with the fact that the clubs have to play in several tournaments at once almost without a break. A number of top teams have to play in the Eurocups, the championship and also the Cup of their country. With the same squad, without a deep bench it is quite difficult to play.
What do you need to pay attention to when betting on the Champions League?
We have said many times that the more prestigious the tournament, the harder it is to analyze. This means that you need to pay attention to a large number of factors. And when betting on the Champions League and at all should be taken into account. The main criteria that you should definitely focus on are described on our website.
Of the main points that will affect the choice of betting in the analysis of the event, let us note a few that have their own characteristics specifically in this tournament.
Weather conditions and field coverage. As for the field, it can be natural or artificial. Even this factor should be adapted to by the players. Given that the matches are played in different countries, the weather conditions are different in each country. Somewhere it is too hot, somewhere it is cold, somewhere it is too humid, etc. This means that many need to go through a period of acclimatization, which with a heavy schedule is not always possible.
Tournament schedule. Even the top clubs with a deep bench do not always manage to do a complete rotation of the squad, so that each of the important players can rest a sufficient amount of time. As a result, even despite the importance of the tournament (teams are willing to sacrifice other starts, in order to win the Champions League trophy), some teams are not able to approach any particular Champions League game in the right condition.
Motivation. But this factor is not so important in this tournament. The fact is that here all the players are trying to perform at their best. Therefore, the mood of each player is about the same.
Some facts about the Champions League
– Real Madrid has the largest number of trophies. The team has 13 of them on its account. Another three times the club lost in the finals. Seven titles were won by AC Milan (2nd place) and six by Liverpool (3rd);
– Spanish teams most often won the main trophy (18 times), the British won 13 times, under the account of the Italian teams 12 titles, another 7 times won the German clubs;
– The team that wins the trophy has the right to keep it for 10 months, the winner of the tournament receives 19 000 000 euros, the team eliminated in the preliminary round receives 230 000 euros;
– “Real Madrid has managed to win the Champions League five times in a row. This is the only team that was able to achieve such a result. In the modern history of the Spanish team also has a record – to win three in a row (the last team, which managed to do it – Bayern in the seasons 1974-1976);
– Only six clubs received the trophy for eternal storage.
source: Liontips.com
