Glory of The Champions League Final

The UEFA Champions League, previously known as the European Cup, is one of, if not, the most celebrated club tournament in the world, with this season being nothing short of exhilarating. As we approach the season crescendo, marked for June 1st, let Sportingbet turn back to clocks just a tad and explore what gives this tournament its poise and prestige.

Starting way back in September of 1955, the competition was initially contested by only top-tier European clubs, through a round robin group stage to qualify for a double-legged knockout format, and finally a single-leg finale. It has since expanded, with most of Europe's national leagues still only entering their champion, the strongest leagues from around the world can now provide up to four teams. Clubs that finish next-in-line in their national league, having not qualified for the Champions League, are eligible for the second-tier UEFA Europa League competition, and since 2021, for the third-tier UEFA Europa Conference League.

Spanish clubs have the highest number of victories (19 wins), followed by England (15 wins) and Italy (12 wins). Real Madrid is the most successful club in the tournament's history, having won it 14 times, and the only club to have won it five times in a row.

Real Madrid are by far the most dominant team to ever grace the league with their presence. They’re the only team to ever complete a 5-time Final win streak from 1956 to 1960, to have a treble from 2016 to 2018 and to have won the League Cup a record 14-times. They have been a formidable force not only historically, but throughout this season’s competition, ploughing through Group C undefeated. The double legged knockouts however, proved a different endeavour. Through a series of deadlock draws and close-calls against the likes of Leipzig, Man City and Bayern Munich, Los Blancos emerged the undisputed victors earning them their record 18th Final in the tournament and marking the 1st time they’ve reached the final without losing a single game.

Racking up an impressive 26 goals in 12 games with 3 players currently featuring in the top 10 top goal scorers in this season's Champions League however, also conceding a sizable 15 goals possibly pointing out a crack in the Spanish giants defences. Los Blancos are heavily favoured to take the title, given their historic dominance, pedigree and impressive season run.

Dortmund’s campaign got off to a rocky start, seemingly scraping through a tough Group F, losing their 1st match 2-0 against French rivals PSG with an exception to an impressive performance over Italian title contender AC Milan beating them 3-1. Their double-legged play-offs proved a grueling task although managing to regain some redemption and finally beating their French rivals PSG 1-0 in both their knock-out games. Dortmund have accumulated a respectable 17 in the 12 games they’ve played and conceded just 9. Possibly indicating a strong defensive backline, come match day.

Throughout the campaign, Real Madrid have won 8 of their matches and drawn 4 (*Only one club has ever won all of their matches in a single tournament en route to the tournament victory: Bayern Munich in the 2019–20 season). With Dortmund on the other end securing 7 wins, drawing 3 and losing 2. However, despite Dortmund’s gauntlet of a run with some impressive victories and come-backs on both ends, taking a quick glance at their stats over the course of the tournament, these two teams couldn’t be more evenly matched but soccer odds are still very much in favour of the Spaniards, come match day.

So let’s take a look at some of the more thrilling and popular markets that are currently on offer for this colossal clash and let’s pave the way to some successful and informed stakes.

First up, we’ve got the most common market available, ‘Match Result’, where bets are settled on regular play and are still, currently, heavily in favour of the tenacious Spaniards. However, keep a close eye on this space as any changes or unforeseen circumstances could affect the weight of these odds.

Next, we have the ‘Both Teams To Score’ market. Always a popular choice for our aficionados and fan’s, especially considering the history of this clash being that both teams have scored in just over 50% of all Champions League finals.

In addition, we’ve got the thrilling ‘Method of Victory’ market, where you can select from a range of possible outcomes from either team winning in regular time, or to win in extra time or for the clash to come to a penalty shootout showdown. Furthermore, we have the ‘Correct Score’ markets where you can predict the possible final score within regular time (*90 minutes).

And last, but not least 'Live Betting'. The Champions League Final is a hotbed for in-play betting, thanks to its unpredictable nature. Stay connected to the game to harness live odds as they swing.

The UEFA Champions League Final is scheduled for Saturday June 1st at 9pm SAST. From a soccer betting standpoint, fanatics and betting aficionados alike, are in for a treat, as these two European giants vie for victory come Saturday. Be sure to brush up on any squad updates and team developments ahead of this enthralling match day and ensure you catch all the thrilling odds markets and enthralling Price Boosts on offer to elevate your Champions League Final experience, as this all comes to a rousing crescendo on Saturday, June 1st, at the iconic Wembley Stadium.