Champions League 2026/27 preview and betting guide

The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League season is upon us and Europe’s biggest clubs are once again vying for the most coveted trophy in club football.

Now in its third year, the regular season format brings with it more games, exciting match-ups and plenty of betting opportunities.

In this article, we take a look at the biggest favourites, the regular season draw, potential surprises and key markets to watch in the Champions League season.

View Champions League Odds at OlyBet

How does the Champions League regular season work?

In the fall of 2024, the Champions League expanded from 32 teams to 36. Until then, football fans could cheer for the group stage, but now a format is used where all clubs form one main tournament.

Before the tournament, the teams are divided into four groups of four and in the pre-season draw, each team is drawn against two opponents from each group. Thus, each team will play eight matches during the main tournament – half at home, half away.

At the end of the main tournament:

Places 1–8 advance directly to the round of 16
Places 9–24 continue in the play-off round
Places 25–36 are eliminated from the competition

The first round of the main tournament will take place on 8–10 September and the final round on 27 January.

Biggest favourites in the 2026/27 Champions League season

PSG

Reigning champions PSG will of course start the new season as favourites, but fortune was not kind to the French. Namely, PSG will have to face strong opponents in the main tournament, as they will face, among others:

Barcelona (Spain)
Manchester City (England)
AS Roma (Italy)
Aston Villa (England)
Galatasaray (Turkey)
Villarreal (Spain)

Real Madrid

When it comes to the Champions League, you can’t ignore Real Madrid, who are always one of the main contenders for the title. The Madrid club’s main tournament opponents this year include:

Inter Milan (Italy)
Arsenal (England)
AS Roma (Italy)
PSV (Netherlands)
RB Leipzig (Germany)

See the Champions League fixture list HERE

Arsenal

Premier League reigning champions Arsenal are looking to take the next step in Europe this year. Mikel Arteta’s team will face, among others, the following teams in the main tournament:

Real Madrid (Spain)
Bayern Munich (Germany)
Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Napoli (Italy)

Manchester City

Manchester City, who ended the Pep Guardiola era, also did not have th ebest of luck in the draw. Their main tournament opponents include:

PSG (France)
Barcelona (Spain)
Sporting (Portugal)
Napoli (Italy)
RB Leipzig (Germany)

See Champions League and other exciting odds at OlyBet

The most exciting matchups of the main tournament

The new format of the Champions League offers the enjoyment of the games in the fall season already, that could usually only be enjoyed in the spring _play-offs_.

This year’s matches to watch out for:

Matchday:

Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid (09.09)
Real Madrid vs Inter (09.09)

Matchday:

Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United (13.10)
Manchester City vs PSG (14.10)

Matchday:

PSG vs Barcelona (20.10)
Bayern Munich vs Arsenal (21.10)

Matchday:

Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich (3.11)
Manchester United vs AS Roma (3.11)

Matchday:

Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund (24.11)
Manchester City vs Napoli (24.11)

Matchday:

Barcelona vs Manchester City (08.12)
Arsenal vs Real Madrid (09.12)

Matchday:

Inter Milan vs Liverpool (19.01)
Manchester United vs Bayern Munich (20.01)

Matchday:

Barcelona vs Como (27.01)
Villarreal vs Manchester United (27.01)

These matches can offer good betting opportunities not only in the match winner market, but also in goals and BTTS bets and of course also in live betting.

Champions League 2026/27 dark horses

In addition to the expected favorites, it is worth looking for value in the main tournament among the possible dark horses. Possible surprise winners include:

Aston Villa
Bodø/Glimt
Como
Napoli
Fenerbahçe

What is worth betting on in the Champions League?

Match winner

The match winner is the most popular market in the Champions League as well. This market is particularly interesting for away games, where the favorites will have to visit difficult opponents.

Both Teams to Score (BTTS)

The Champions League often brings together representatives of attacking football. PSG, Manchester City, Barcelona, Liverpool, Arsenal and others are clubs whose games are always worth considering the BTTS market.

Read also: BTTS betting guide: everything you need to know

Over/Under Goals

Euro games often offer interesting opportunities in the Over 2.5 or Over 3.5 goals markets.

Season bets

For those interested in long-term bets, season bets also offer value. In the early stages of the tournament, some teams may offer higher odds than themselves.

See Champions League – Season betting odds at OlyBet

Champions League 2026/27 important dates

Main tournament

1st round: 8.–10.09.2026
2nd round: 13.–14.10.2026
3rd round: 20.–21.10.2026
4th round: 3.–4.11.2026
5th round: 24.–25.11.2026
6th round: 8.–9.12.2026
7th round: 19.–20.01.2027
8th round: 27.01.2027

Qualifiers

Play-offs: 16.–17.02 and 23.–24.02.2027
Round of 16: 9.–10.03 and 16.–17.03.2027
Quarterfinals: 6.–7.04 and 13.–14.04.2027
Semifinals: 27.–28.04 and 4.–5.05.2027
Final: 5.06.2027

Where will the 2027 Champions League final be held?

The 2026/27 Champions League final will be held on 5 June 2027 at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid.

Atletico Madrid’s home stadium last hosted the Champions League final in 2019, when Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2-0.

This will be the sixth Champions League or its predecessor final in Madrid this year – only London has hosted more finals.

How to watch the Champions League?

In the Baltics, Go3 shows Champions League matches, and their Sport package allows you to watch all Champions League matches both live and in-play.

In addition, Tele2 customers should explore the possibility of adding sports channels to their existing TV package.

How to bet responsibly?

Play responsibly. 18+
Don’t let your emotions guide your decisions
Watch your budget
Avoid making up for losses with new bets
Analyze each game separately
Consider injuries, form and motivation
Enjoy football, because the sport itself is still the most important thing

This year’s Champions League season promises to be one of the most exciting in recent years. Alongside the big European clubs, newcomers also want to prove themselves, and the format of the main tournament means that there will be exciting matches almost every week from September onwards.

So, during the match week, it is always worth checking out the OlyBoost section, where you can find interesting special offers throughout the season.