Champions League 2025/26: Big Guns Eager to Avoid Play-Off Heartbreak
The 2025/26 Champions League has entered its most unforgiving phase, with the knockout play-offs setting the tone for a competition that has already defied expectations.
The latest odds on the sportsbooks featured on comparison platform www.bettingtop10.com/ are heavily dominated by Premier League teams.
Five of England’s six representatives feature in the top ten of the outright betting market, having already secured automatic progression to the last-16.
Another 16 teams are battling to join them at that stage of the competition, but they will have to safely navigate through a knockout round play-off to get there.
Champions League 2025/26 – Outright Odds
According to the sportsbooks featured on BettingTop10, the following teams are most likely to win the Champions League this season.
- Arsenal – 4.50
- Bayern Munich – 5.50
- Manchester City – 8.00
- Barcelona – 8.00
- Paris Saint-Germain – 9.00
- Liverpool – 11.00
- Real Madrid – 13.00
- Chelsea – 19.00
- Inter Milan – 26.00
- Tottenham Hotspur – 34.00
Champions League 2025/26 – Knockout Round Play-Offs
The knockout play-offs will be contested over two legs, with the first fixtures taking place in mid-February.
First Legs – February 17/18
- Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta
- Olympiacos vs Bayer Leverkusen
- Galatasaray vs Juventus
- Club Brugge vs Atlético Madrid
- AS Monaco vs Paris Saint-Germain
- Benfica vs Real Madrid
- Qarabag vs Newcastle United
- Bodo/Glimt vs Inter Milan
Second Legs – February 24/25
- Atalanta vs Borussia Dortmund
- Bayer Leverkusen vs Olympiacos
- Juventus vs Galatasaray
- Atlético Madrid vs Club Brugge
- Paris Saint-Germain vs AS Monaco
- Real Madrid vs Benfica
- Newcastle United vs Qarabag
- Inter Milan vs Bodo/Glimt
Once these ties are settled, the full knockout bracket through to the final in Budapest at the end of May will be confirmed.
Champions League 2025/26 – Standout Play-Off Matches to Watch
Benfica vs Real Madrid
Benfica and Madrid will lock horns again just weeks after their astonishing league-phase clash in Lisbon.
Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored a 98th-minute header to seal a 4-2 win to deny Madrid an automatic spot in the last-16. The moment is one of the defining images of the new format.
Benfica manager Jose Mourinho now faces his former club with momentum, belief and the comfort of having already exposed Madrid’s fragility under pressure.
By contrast, Madrid head into the tie needing control rather than spectacle, particularly with injuries and suspensions limiting their options in the first leg.
Paris Saint-Germain vs AS Monaco
An all-French tie feels harsh on Ligue 1’s European coefficient, but reigning champions PSG will still expect to progress.
Monaco’s domestic form has dipped sharply despite a surprise league win over PSG earlier in the season, and their inability to control games away from home could be decisive over two legs.
This tie offers PSG a chance to reset after failing to progress directly to the last-16. It would be a majot surprise if they failed to go through.
Qarabag vs Newcastle United
Newcastle face the longest journey of the knockout round play-off first leg matches, with a 3,000-mile trip to Azerbaijan awaiting them.
Qarabag’s qualification is historic, but their defensive limitations were brutally exposed in a 6-0 defeat at Liverpool, and Newcastle will view this as a tie they must control early.
While the Magpies’ congested domestic schedule adds complexity, their physicality and tempo should give them a clear edge if handled professionally.
Bodo/Glimt vs Inter Milan
Bodo/Glimt’s improvement has become one of the competition’s defining narratives, underlined by stunning victories over Man City and Atletico Madrid.
Those results have raised expectations ahead of another clash with elite opposition and offer a clearer measure of how far Bodo/Glimt can realistically go at this level.
Inter arrive with deeper pedigree and European know-how, which should tell over two legs. However, the artificial pitch and Arctic conditions in Norway pose a serious early challenge.
Serie A teams have often found Bodo uncomfortable territory, making the opening leg anything but straightforward.
Champions League 2025/26 – What Comes Next?
The play-offs mark the point where the Champions League becomes ruthless by design. Two legs, no safety net and no room to rely on history alone.
With the new format rewarding consistency, the coming weeks will decide whether Europe’s biggest clubs turn dominance into destiny or allow volatility to define their season.
Half of these teams will be gone by the end of February, and the real Champions League will begin.