Bet on Champions League Games: First Leg Semifinal Odds and Expert Insights

The end of the current football season in Europe is almost upon us, with several teams already clinging titles in the major domestic leagues. There are still some things to be decided before we get to the summer break, with the UEFA Champions League at the top of the list.

The semi-finals are coming our way this week, although these matchups will just be the first leg, with the second games coming next week. By the time all is said and done, we will know which two teams will be battling it out to be the Kings of Europe.

Bet on Champions League Semifinals Leg 1

This has been a very different season in the Champions League, so let’s do a quick rundown before we get to the semi-final matchups.

First Season with a New Champions League Format

There is an old adage that you shouldn’t try to fix something that isn’t broken, but modern-day football is more about money than anything else, so tweaks were made to the Champions League format to bring in more games, and therefore, more money.

The group stage was scrapped in favor of a 32-team league where each team played 8 games (4 home and 4 away).

At the end of those games, the top 8 teams in the league moved on to the knockout phase, while teams 9 through 24 went into a 2-game playoff to figure out the final 8 teams in the Round of 16.

From that point, it was straight knockout, with each matchup played over 2 legs.

We have seen plenty of surprises, and while it was different, I think most will agree that it was a good year in the Champions League.

The UEFA Champions League Semi-Final Matchups

Heading into this version of the Champions League, we had Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Barcelona sitting at the top of the bookies board.

As we prepare for the semi-finals, only one of those teams remains, which should give you some idea of the carnage that we have seen in the tournament this season.

Let’s look at the upcoming games, with predictions for each. We are simply going to focus on Leg 1 and not the matchup as a whole, so please keep that in mind.

Arsenal +115 vs PSG +232 (Draw +230)

When: Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 3:00 PM
UCL Bet: Arsenal 2-1 PSG

I think it’s fair to say that both of these teams are something of a surprise. While I certainly expected them both to make it to the knockout stage, I did not think either of them would make it this far. I think we all believed that Arsenal had reached their peak in the quarterfinals, and that Real Madrid would sweep them aside, but it was the complete opposite. Arsenal did the damage in Leg 1, winning 3-0 at home before completing the task with a 2-1 win in Madrid.

PSG have had to go through England in the knockout stage, beating Liverpool, which was a surprise, before taking out Aston Villa in the last round. Their form has dipped in recent weeks, but they have long since had the Ligue 1 title wrapped up, so there has been no real reason to go all out. It is much the same story for Arsenal, who are settling for 2nd in the league and saving their best for this tournament. I’m on the fence as to how this matchup will go, but I do like Arsenal to win at home.

Barcelona -159 vs Inter +380 (Draw +310)

When: Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 3:00 PM
UCL Bet: Barcelona 3-0 Inter

This is a truly intriguing matchup, as it features a pair of teams with very contrasting styles of play. Barcelona is an offensive juggernaut and are the top scorers in the tournament, while Inter is defensively sound and among the best defenses in this tournament. Barcelona must still be on a high after their 3-2 win over Real Madrid this past weekend, a win that takes them one step closer to securing the LaLiga crown. They come into this one on a 3-game win streak where they have scored 8 goals.

If you look at the current form of Inter, there is every reason to be a little nervous about wagering on them to win here. They are on a 3-game losing skid, and while that is certainly not great, the fact that they failed to score in each of those 3 games makes it all the more alarming. They have dropped out of the top spot in Serie A and are in danger of getting nothing out of what has been a very decent season. I think Inter will be trying to limit the damage in Leg 1, but I think they could end up in a deep hole.

Current Champions League Odds to Win

While the 4 remaining teams will all fancy their chances of going on and winning it all, only 1 of them will actually make it happen.

The bookies have a definite idea as to which team they believe has the pedigree to become the champions of Europe, so let’s take a look at the current odds of winning it all:

• Barcelona +199
• PSG +232
• Arsenal +244
• Inter +450

Given their offensive prowess, it is perhaps no real surprise to see Barcelona in as the favorite, and I would have to say that it honestly is tough to bet against them at this point.

Other Champions Wagers You Can Make Now

There are a couple of prop bets that you can get in on, although both look to be set in stone now.

Raphina of Barcelona looks like he is going to be the top scorer and assist getter in the tournament, and while the odds for the assists battle holds no value, you can still get him at odds of -110 to win the Golden Boot.

I would consider playing a parlay bet, taking him to win, both, while potentially adding a 3rd leg to the parlay ticket, which would be Barcelona winning the Champions League.

Which nation will come out on top? #UCL pic.twitter.com/If8oGf0CUQ

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 28, 2025

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