Champions League Final Betting Preview
It feels like just yesterday that Manchester City capped off their 2022-23 season with the European Cup, earning the continental treble in the process. It was a historic season for manager Pep Guardiola, who was under some pressure for Man City’s 2021 European Cup loss.
Now we’re days away from the 2023-24 edition, and the matchup is completely different. On one side, we’ve got a perennial contender in Spanish soccer powerhouse Real Madrid, and on the other side, we have a German underdog club in Borussia Dortmund. Bodog Sportsbook has been buzzing for the Champions League final betting, so if you haven’t placed your bets yet, now’s the time to do it.
With 14 titles to their name, Real Madrid have won significantly more European Cups than any other club. Their opponent, Borussia Dortmund has won just once, in 1997 when they beat the defending champions, Juventus.
A lot has changed since then, including the meteoric rise of German soccer that culminated in 2012-13 with two German clubs featuring in the Champions League final. But since then, a Spanish club has won six out of 10 times.
The final is set for Saturday, June 1 at Wembley Stadium in London. Action starts at 3 PM ET, and Canadians can stream it with DAZN. We’ll go over each team’s path to the finals, along with other relevant information, to help you make an informed Champions League final betting decision.
Odds for Both Finalists
Odds are up for the Champions League final, and at press time, Real Madrid are -160 favourites on the three-way moneyline against Dortmund (+400 underdogs). The draw, which typically offers good value, is +320 and pays if both teams draw at the end of 90 minutes. For anyone new to American odds, Real Madrid’s -160 mean a $160 bet would pay $100. A $100 bet on Dortmund would pay $400 since they’re the underdogs (as indicated by the positive (+) odds). Alternatively, a $100 bet on the draw would pay $320. Payouts scale up and down to match the bet.
A spread is also available as an alternative bet. Dortmund checks in at +1.0 (-125), and Real Madrid at -1.0 (+105). If Real Madrid beats Dortmund by a single goal, the bets are a push; Real Madrid would need to win by at least two goals to cover the spread. If both teams tie (or Dortmund wins outright), Dortmund covers the spread.
Total betting is available with the quarter ball format. With quarter ball bets, your stake is divided into two bets. For the final, the goal total is 2.5 and 3.0, so half of your bet would go to the 2.5-goal total and the other half would go to the 3-goal total, regardless of if you go with the over or the under.
Run to the Final
Real Madrid
Real Madrid had an easy time getting out of Group C, where they finished eight points ahead of No. 2 Napoli and won all six of their matches. Things got a little dicey after that; they had a close call with RB Leipzig in the round of 16, but won 2-1 on aggregate. They had to face the defending champions Manchester City next and needed penalties to settle the round. Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger scored the winner of the 4-3 shootout.
Next up was a European Clasico matchup between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the semifinals. Both teams played to a 2-2 draw in the first leg, and Bayern Munich were initially winning the second leg until Real Madrid substitute Joselu scored twice in stoppage time, leading his team to the final and making a name for himself in the process.
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund drew into Group F, arguably the most challenging group of all, and lost their first match 0-2 against Paris Saint-Germain. Despite the rocky start, they didn’t lose any other Group Stage matches and advanced to the round of 16 three points ahead of PSG, who’d return for a rematch in the semifinals.
In the round of 16, Dortmund tied PSV 1-1 in the first leg and won 2-0 in the second with goals coming from Marco Reus and Jadon Sancho. In the quarterfinals, Dortmund faced Atletico Madrid and dropped the first match 1-2. But they came back as hosts to win 4-2 and won on aggregate. Matched up against PSG in the semifinals, Dortmund were arguably outplayed but defended extremely well and won each leg 1-0 to advance to the finals.
Special Moments
Quarter-Finals
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
There’s always fire when Real Madrid faces Manchester City. In the 12th minute of their quarterfinal matchup, Vinicius Junior drilled a low cross to Rodrygo, who was waiting in front of goal; Rodrygo shot, forcing Man City goalkeeper Ederson to make an incredible save, but unfortunately for Man City fans, the rebound went right back to Rodrygo, who scored on the second attempt.
Star Players
Real Madrid
Vinicius Junior
With the departures of Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, Vinicius has a clear path to stardom through Real Madrid. He has tallied five assists and scored five goals this tournament and is the top-ranked player for the 2024 Ballon d’Or.
Jude Bellingham
Right behind Vinicius on the Ballon d’Or rankings is Bellingham, who’s scored four goals and tallied four assists in the main Champions League tournament this season. He’ll be playing in his international team’s home venue (Wembley Stadium) on Saturday.
Borussia Dortmund
Gregor Kobel
Few goalkeepers have been as impressive as Swiss keeper Kobel during the Champions League tournament, especially in the knockout rounds. Kobel made 42 saves in 11 matches, more than anyone else. He also recorded six clean sheets, including the one earned in Dortmund’s semi-final matchup against Paris.
Mats Hummels
This elite veteran defender may be in the twilight of his career but he’s still critical to Dortmund’s success. He has the season record for balls recovered (114) and tackles won (34), and he is a proven winner under pressure with his six Bundesliga titles and one World Cup win (2014).
Manager Profile
Carlo Ancelotti
Real Madrid
No other UEFA football coach is as decorated as Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti, who has a record nine titles to his name. This is Ancelotti’s second go around with Real Madrid, having served his first stint between 2013 and 2015. When he replaced Jose Mourinho in 2013, he switched formation to 4-3-3 to great success. During this time, he led the club to a Champions League trophy, a UEFA Super Cup, and a Copa Del Rey and FIFA Club World Cup title.
Ancelotti’s team ran into some poor stretches in 2015 that ultimately led to his dismissal, but he returned in 2021. The team once again excelled under his guidance and won the Champions League title in 2022; this was Ancelotti’s fourth UEFA Champions League title as manager, a record that still stands.
Edin Terzic
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund’s manager, Edin Terzic is new on the scene as a manager, after taking on the role for Dortmund in 2022. But he previously held various positions with the club dating back to 2010, when he compiled reports for Jurgen Klopp. Terzic became Dortmund’s assistant coach in 2017 and moved into the interim role of manager for the back end of the 2020-21 season, winning the German Cup in the process. His first season as permanent manager was 2022-23—the season they finished second to FC Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga finals, coming up short by goal differential on the last day.
The following season, Dortmund qualified for the Champions League and put forth an incredible Cinderella run to reach the final as underdogs. Terzic is in the midst of a flourishing managerial career with unknown potential.
History in European Competition
Real Madrid
Real Madrid is a big part of the reason why Spanish football has been such a powerhouse over the years. They’ve won the Champions League 14 times, the Europa League twice, the Super Cup five times, the Intercontinental Cup three times and the FIFA Club World Cup five times.
When the European Cup was introduced in 1955, the first five titles went to Real Madrid. But that dominance waxed and waned until the late ‘90s, when they picked up steam again.
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund’s resume is much briefer than Real Madrid’s; as far as European football goes, they’ve won two titles: the Champions League in 1997, and the Cup Winners’ Cup way back in 1966.
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