2025-26 UCL Winner Odds and Predictions – Can PSG Repeat?

• Manager: Mikel Arteta
• 2024-25 UCL Progress: Lost in Semifinals
• UCL Titles: 0
• Key Players: Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes, David Raya

Arsenal won all eight games of the league phase, and had a UCL-best +19 goal differential. Gabriel Martinelli led the team with six goals, and Viktor Gyokeres chipped in with four.

Forward momentum ✊ pic.twitter.com/mTxMOC3Auj

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 28, 2026

The Gunners have hit a little slide in England, coming off a loss to Manchester United. However, they’re still alive in four competitions and now have depth to deal with injuries. The major concern I have with Arsenal is that they’ve struggled recently when the lights are brightest.

Arsenal has never won this competition, and they’ve been runner-up in England the last three years. In fact, they haven’t won a trophy since the FA Cup in 2020.

Can Arsenal show the mental strength to overcome any hurdles? Manager Mikel Arteta has a massive job on his hands, and he needs more from the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Declan Rice.

• Manager: Vincent Kompany
• 2024-25 UCL Progress: Lost in Quarterfinals
• UCL Titles: 6
• Key Players: Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Joshua Kimmich, Dayot Upamecano, Manuel Neuer

Bayern are lying in wait in the Champions League winner odds after winning seven of eight in the group phase (coincidentally, their lone loss came at Arsenal in Matchday 5). They also recently lost their first league game in Germany to Augsburg. Harry Kane was second to Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe with eight goals in the league phase.

We will face one of the winners from these matches in the @ChampionsLeague R16! 💫🔥 pic.twitter.com/PfHESJIYX8

— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) January 30, 2026

The German giants just got Jamal Musiala back from injury, adding to their embarrassment of riches. Manager Vincent Kompany has also improved in his second year in charge at Bayern. I do have concerns with Bayern at the back, definitely more than Arsenal. But they may have enough attacking talent to overcome it with Kane, Musiala, Michael Olise, and star teenager Lennart Karl.

Bayern is fairly priced at +450, and there may be a little value if you think they’re better than Arsenal.

• Manager: Hansi Flick
• 2024-25 UCL Progress: Lost in Semifinals
• UCL Titles: 5
• Key Players: Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Pedri, Joan Garcia

Barça finished fifth in the league phase with five wins, a draw, and two losses. Marcus Rashford and Fermin Lopez scored five goals apiece, and both added three assists to lead the Spanish side.

Of course, Barça still has Lamine Yamal, who is starting to hit another gear after a relatively slow start by his standards, and the same goes for Raphinha. Another injury to Pedri hurts their chances, and they’re shaky at the back, like many of the top teams.

Barça does have the top-end talent to win the Champions League, but can they sort out their defensive issues in time? That’s the key to their 2025-26 UCL odds, in my opinion.

• Manager: Pep Guardiola
• 2024-25 UCL Progress: Lost in Round of 16
• UCL Titles: 1
• Key Players: Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku, Rodri, Gianluigi Donnarumma

Manchester City is another team that has defensive problems, although they did bring in Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. They snagged the final automatic spot to the knockout phase, but only because Benfica’s last-gasp goal against Real Madrid knocked the Spanish giants out of that spot.

Erling Haaland scored seven goals in the league phase, with Rayan Cherki adding three. But they have questions in midfield, as Rodri isn’t the ball-winning dynamo he was before an ACL injury. Ruben Dias is out, and I’m still not sure about Abdukodir Khusanov in the center of defense.

I do trust manager Pep Guardiola to get it right in time for the knockout phase, but it feels like City’s path is largely dependent on the matchup they get. I think they may even have been a bit overpriced in these Champions League winner odds.

• Manager: Luis Enrique
• 2024-25 UCL Progress: Won UEFA Champions League
• UCL Titles: 1
• Key Players: Ousmane Dembele, Joao Neves, Vitinha, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lucas Chevalier

The defending champions have battled numerous injuries this season, and were 11^th in the league phase. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is added to the injury list, while Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele has already had a couple this season. They’ll face fellow French side Monaco in the playoffs.

The schedule for the knockout stages! 🗓️

✈️ 17/02 – 21:00 at Stade Louis II
🏟️ 25/02 – 21:00 at Parc des Princes #UCL pic.twitter.com/C1kZzU3Rh3

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) January 30, 2026

Fortunately, Vitinha has picked up the mantle of “best midfielder in Europe”, scoring five goals. Goncalo Ramos and Desire Doue have scored two goals each. They do have Achraf Hakimi back from AFCON as one-half of the best fullback duo in the world, alongside Nuno Mendes.

All that said, I watched PSG finish 15^th in the league phase last season, and then dominate everyone en route to their first Champions League trophy. As the defending champions, I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt.

• Manager: Liam Rosenoir
• 2024-25 UCL Progress: Failed to Qualify
• UCL Titles: 2
• Key Players: Cole Palmer, Estevao, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Robert Sanchez

Chelsea was a surprise sixth-place finisher in the league phase, led by three goals each from Joao Pedro and Estevao. The midfield pair of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo might have been the best duo in the Champions League, adding four goals to their all-action style.

But Chelsea has a new manager in Liam Rosenior, who has never been in the Champions League. I also find the Blues to be wildly inconsistent. They’ll beat Barcelona handily in one game, and lose to Atalanta the next.

I can’t trust that we’re going to see the best of Chelsea for each game. For that, I’m skeptical of their Champions League winner odds.

• Manager: Christan Chivu
• 2024-25 UCL Progress: Lost in Final
• UCL Titles: 3
• Key Players: Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram, Hakan Calhanoglu, Allesandro Bastoni, Yann Sommer

I’d much rather trust Inter’s odds, even after they got routed by PSG in last year’s final. They finished 12^th in the league phase, getting four goals from Lautaro Martinez. They’ll take on Bodo/Glimt in the playoffs, but they must beware. The Norwegian side knocked off Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in their last two league-phase games to make it this far.

Inter has been on fire recently, outside of a loss to Arsenal. Martinez is starting to get going, and he is joined by Marcus Thuram and Ange-Yoan Bonny. Their midfield is experienced, led by Hakan Calhanoglu. The same goes for their defense, and Alessandro Bastoni might be the best central defender in Europe.

37-year-old Yann Sommer has made some mistakes in goal, which is tough. But I could see a world in which Inter makes it to the final in Budapest! Their UCL winner odds have some terrific value in them.