Don’t miss the UEFA Champions League Qualifying Playoff Leg 2! Get our Expert Picks

For the winners of the domestic leagues across Europe, the path to the Champions League is pretty clear.

For the smaller nations, as well as teams that finished near the top in their respective leagues, the path is a little more precarious.

My Analysis

Before we get to the Champions League proper, some teams have to navigate their way through a trio of qualifying rounds, as well as a playoff to get to then play with the big boys.

The qualifying rounds are done, and we are now into the playoffs, with 7 matchups coming our way.

The first leg of these games will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the second leg coming next week. Let’s take a quick look at all 7 games with UCL picks.

Bodo/Glimt -149 vs Red Star Belgrade +380

Bodo are basically in midseason form right now, sitting atop the Norwegian league after 19 games.

They will go against a tough Red Star team that made it into the playoffs without having to go the qualifying round route.

You have to give the nod to Red Star in this matchup, but Bodo will be looking to get the early advantage at home.

Dinamo Zagreb -119 vs Qarabag +300

Zagreb is back with a shot at moving into the league stage of this competition after playing in the Conference League last year, where they went out to PAOK in the Round of 16.

Qarabag is the team standing in their way. This team tore through the qualifying rounds, scoring a ton of goals in the process, including 7 goals in one match in their last outing. This could be an intriguing matchup.

Lille -135 vs Slavia Prague +380

It has been a good start to the season for Lille, as they knocked out Fenerbace to get to the playoffs, after which they opened up their Ligue 1 campaign with a 2-0 win over Reims.

Slavia Prague played in the Europa League last season, going put in the Round of 16 to AC Milan, which was not particularly surprising.

This looks to be a very evenly matched tie.

Dynamo Kyiv +172 vs RB Salzburg +147

This has the potential to be one of the best matchups of the Playoff Round. Kyiv took care of Partizan Belgrade and Rangers to get to this stage, as they look to avoid heading back to the Conference League.

Salzburg is out to a great start in the Austrian League, winning all 3 games to start the new season, so they are a team in very good form that is going to be tough to knock off.

Midjtylland -154 vs Slovan Bratislava +390

Just 1 point out of the lead at the top of the Danish Superliga, Miftjylland has made a very decent start to the season, but a spot in the Champions League would be the icing on the cake.

They will need to get past Bratislava, who have been defensively tough to break down in getting to this point.

Malmo +132 vs Sparta Prague +195

Malmo survive a breathtaking Qualifying Round matchup against PAOK to get to this stage of the tournament, and they come in on a high, as they sit comfortably atop the Swedish League.

Prague is looking to get back to the CL after playing in the Europa League last season, but it has not been smooth sailing to this point.

Young Boys +300 vs Galatasaray -119

There has to be some real concern for Young Boys, who go the bye into the stage of the tournament, given their start to the league season, where they have just 1 point from their first 4 games.

On the flipside, the Turkish side, Galatasaray, has won both league games to make a strong start.

While the major European domestic leagues begin this week, we have had some European soccer action to enjoy over the past few weeks.

Most notably, we are in the Preliminary Rounds of the Champions League, as teams from the lesser leagues in Europe try to win their way into the biggest tournament in league soccer.

My Analysis

We are currently in the third Qualifying Round, with 10 teams set to move into the Playoff Round.

Eventually, the winners of that one will make their way into the new Champions League setup, which is one league containing all qualified teams instead of groups.

Let’s take a look at the 10 upcoming games, all of which will be played on Tuesday afternoon.

We start out with APOEL Nicosia trying to overcome a 2-goal deficit at home against Slovan Bratislava. That is certainly not the ideal situation to be in, so I think it will be Bratislava moving on.

Bodo/Glint picked up a big win on the road in their first leg game against Jagiellonia Bialystok. While it may not be the most comfortable win, I like the home team to win and move on.

One of the better games in this round sees Twente play their second leg at home against Salzburg, looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit from Leg 1. While that road goal helped, I’m not so sure it will be enough.

We have a similar situation in the next game, which has Fenerbace heading home and looking to overcome a 2-1 deficit to Lille. This is basically a coin flip for me, but I think the Turkish side might well get the job done at home.

We have another one hanging in the balance, with PAOK and Malmo knotted up at 2-2 after the first leg. The Greeks will have the home field advantage in this one, but I am of the belief that Malmo can get the win on the road.

Midtjylland head on the road after picking up a 2-0 win over Ferencvaros in the opening leg of their matchup. Turkey is never an easy place to go and get a win, but I think Midtjylland did enough in the opening game.

You always want to try and get something from the opening game on the road, which is exactly what Ludogorets did with a 2-1 win away from home against Qarabag. I like them to complete the matchup with a win on home soil.

FCSB picked up a valuable draw on the road in the opening leg of their matchup against Sparta Prague. They will now head home looking to get the job finished with a win, which is exactly what I think they will do.

Union St. Gilloise have a tough task ahead of them in their home game against Slavia Prague after losing 3-1 in Leg 1. Even with home field advantage, that is a bridge too far to overcome.

Finally, we have Rangers looking to break a tie with Dynamo Kyiv. The Scottish club nabbed a valuable away goal in the away leg, scoring in the final minute to set up what could well be a winning game in their own building.

UEFA Champions League Schedule

• August 13 – Second Leg, Third Qualifying Round
  • APOEL FC vs Slovan Bratislava
  • Bodo/Glimt vs Jagiellonia Bialystok
  • Fenerbahce vs LOSC
  • Twente vs Salzburg
  • PAOK vs Malmo
  • Ludogorets vs Qarabag
  • Ferencvaros vs Midtjylland
  • St Gilloise vs Slavia Praga
  • FCSB vs Sparta Praha
  • Rangers vs Dynamo
• August 20-21 – First Leg, Playoff Round
• August 27-28 – Second Leg, Playoff Round

Top 10 UEFA Champions League Team’s Odds to Win it All

• Manchester City +226
• Real Madrid +300
• Arsenal +900
• Liverpool +1050
• Bayern +1175
• Barcelona +1200
• PSG +1600
• Inter +1625
• Leverkusen +2500
• Dortmund +3300

All across Europe, teams are preparing for the start of their respective domestic leagues.

There are also a select few who will be looking ahead to the Champions League and dreaming of hoisting the iconic trophy.

My Analysis

The road to the Champions League final is going to be a little different this season, which we will get into in a moment, but some teams have already begun that journey, with the Preliminary Rounds now taking place.

Once that is all over, we will have the draw for the main portion of the tournament, so with that in mind, let’s look at some of the key dates you need to keep an eye on.

Champions League Format and Key Dates

As mentioned above, the tournament is already underway, with the Preliminary Rounds being played as we speak.

Once those 3 rounds have been completed, we will go into a playoff to see which teams move on to potentially face the big boys of the Champions league.

The draw for the playoffs will be on August 5, after which we will have the draw for the league phase of the tournament on August 29.

There will no longer be a group stage in the Champions League, but rather a 36-team league, with each team playing 8 games (4 home, 4 away) to determine the final standings.

Of course, for the draw, teams will be split into different seeded pots to make sure that we have more of a balanced draw.

The top 8 teams will automatically move on to the Round of 16, while the teams in 9th through 24th will going into a playoff, the draw for which will be on January 31.

The knockout phase of the tournament will begin on March 4 and will run all the way through to the Champions League Final, which will be in Munich on May 31.

There are going to be a ton of games to watch and wager on throughout the tournament, and we will do our best to keep you up to date with the draws, the matchups, and, of course, the predictions.

Champions League Betting

As it stands at the moment, there are no real surprises in the eyes of the bookies, as it is the last 2 winners of the tournament, Real Madrid (+295) and Manchester City (+224), who are considered the favorites to win.

It is, though, going to be interesting to see which teams are better equipped to handle the new format, Injuries will play a major role, as will the luck of the draw, so look for the odds to change quickly as the tournament progresses.

If you are looking to wager on a team outside of the top two, where should you look? I would think that Arsenal (+890) needs to be considered.

They have been pushing Manchester City hard over the last couple of seasons in the Premier League and have made some offseason moves that should make them stronger this year.

I think Bayern Munich (+1175) might also be worth a look. They are looking to bounce back after a disappointing season and have the tantalizing prospect of playing the Champions League Final in their own building.

Barcelona (+1200) are always worth taking a risk with.

UEFA Champions League Schedule

• July 30-31 – Second Leg, Second Qualifying Draw
• August 5 – Playoff Round Draw
• August 6-7 – First Leg, Third Qualifying Round
• August 13 – Second Leg, Third Qualifying Round
• August 20-21 – First Leg, Playoff Round
• August 27-28 – Second Leg, Playoff Round

A couple of years ago, the top teams in Europe came up with the idea of a European Super League, but when word got out to the fans, the idea was widely rejected.

This was particularly true in England, where football is considered sacred.

My Analysis

It was the big English clubs who were the first to back out, thanks in large part to the fan backlash.

While that idea is dead in the water, UEFA took note of the desire for change and brought in a new format for the Champions League, which will come into effect this season.

With that in mind, let’s talk about the new format and the key dates to come.

Champions League Format and Key Dates

Right now, we have some Champions League games being played in the Preliminary Round.

These are matchups between the top teams from the smaller leagues across Europe, and while these matchups are far from glamorous, the prize for the teams that make it through this stage is huge.

The new format will see the group stage completely removed in favor of a 36-team league table.

Each team will play a total of 8 league games against 8 different opponents (4home games, 4 away games).

The teams will be split into 4 different pots for the draw, so there will still be some form of seeding at this stage of the proceedings.

The top 8 teams in the league at the end of these games will move on to the Round of 16.

Teams in place in 9th through 24th will be drawn into a 2-leg playoff, with the 8 winners joining the rest in the knockout phase.

There will be a total of 8 Match days in the league phase, which will run from September 19 to January 29.

The playoffs will be in February, after which we will get to the Round of 16 in March. The final will be held in Munich on Saturday, May 31.

The draw for the league games will be held on August 28.

Who Are the Favorites?

While the format may look a lot different this season, the teams that are favored to win remain pretty much the same.

It’s probably no real surprise to see that Manchester City are in as the favorite to win it all.

They had, by their standards, a disappointing season, winning just 1 trophy as compared to the 3 they won in the previous season, which included the Champions League.

Real Madrid is pretty close to City in the eyes of the bookies, with the defending champions adding Kylian Mbappé to the lineup for the coming season.

Sitting behind the 2 favorites is a pair of English teams. Arsenal and Liverpool are sure to be in the mix, although there may be some teething problems for Liverpool, who will have a new manager in charge.

A dark horse team might well be Barcelona, who had something of a struggle, by their standards, last season.

Bayern Munich also cannot be counted out, while the likes of Inter Milan and PSG are both long shots when compared to the quality of the teams ahead of them on the bookies board.

Soccer never stops. We know this because from June 27 through August 30 teams are going to compete to qualify for the 2023-2024 UEFA Champions League. The preliminary round is already in the books.

Check out a recap of the preliminary round and information on the qualifying tournament at the UEFA Champions League.

UEFA Champions League Betting: Everything to Know About Qualifying | MyBookie Soccer Preview

UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round: June 27th – August 30th, 2023

2023 UEFA Champions League Preliminary Round Recap

The preliminary round included 4 automatic entrants. Only 1 team escaped to take part in the first qualifying round. Breidablik of Iceland won the preliminary round.

The 3 teams that failed to qualify for the first round of qualifying instead joined the Champions Path to the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Champions League First Round Qualifying | 30 Teams

Draw: 20 June 2023
First Leg: July 11 – July 12
Second Leg: July 18 – July 19

Among the 30 teams that participate in the First Qualifying Round, only Breidablik of Iceland played their way into the round. The other 29 teams are automatic qualifiers.

15 teams will win their first round aggregates and move to the Second Qualifying Round. The 15 losing teams will join the Champions Path to the Europa Conference League.

10 matches in the first leg of the first round are in the books. Check out the scores from the first 10 matches.

• Banants 0 – 1 Zrinjski Mostar
• Lincoln Red Imps 1 – 2 FK Qarabag
• Zalgiris Vilnius 0 – 0 Struga
• Hamrun Spartans 0 – 4 Maccabi Haifa
• Olimpija Ljubljana 2 – 1 Valmeira
• Rakow Czestochowa 1 – 0 Flora
• Ballkani 2 – 0 Ludogorets Razgrad
• KI Klaksvik  0 – 0 Ferencvaros
• Partizani Tirana 1 – BATE Borisov 1
• Shamrock Rovers 0 – Breidablik 1

Champions League Second Round Qualifying | 24 Teams

Draw: 21 June 2023
First Leg: July 25 – July 26
Second Leg: July 18 – July 19

The Second Qualifying Round is when things heat up. The 15 teams from the First Qualifying Round participate. So do 9 automatic entrants.

UEFA divides the second leg into a couple of parts.

• The Champions Path features 5 automatic entrants and the 15 qualifiers from the first round
• The League Path features 4 automatic entrants.

League Path losers join the league path at the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round. Champions Path losers join the UEFA Europa league third qualifying round Champions Path.

Champions League Third Round Qualifying | 20 Teams

Draw: 24 July 2023
First Leg: August 8 – August 9
Second Leg: – August 15

Like the Second Qualifying Round, the Third Qualifying Round has two parts or paths.

• The Champions Path features 2 automatic entrants and the 10 qualifiers from the second round
• The League Path features 6 automatic entrants and 2 qualifiers from the second round.

Winners advance to the playoff round of their path. So League Path winners head to the League Path Playoff Round and Champions Path winners head to the Champions Path Playoff Round. Champions Path losers join the UEFA Europa league third qualifying round Champions Path.

League Path losers enter the UEFA Europa League group stage. Champions Path losers switch to the playoff path at the UEFA Europa League.

First Leg – August 22 – August 23
Second Leg – August 29 – August 30

The UEFA Champions League Qualifying Playoff Round includes 10 winners from the third round qualifying and 2 automatic entrants.

Like the second and third rounds, there are two paths.

• The Champions Path features 2 automatic entrants and the 6 qualifiers from the third round
• The League Path features 4 third qualifying round winners.  

Winners of the six aggregates join the 26 teams that have already qualified for the 2023-2024 Champions League. Losers join the UEFA Europa League Group Stage.

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