The UEFA Champions League Group Phase is upon us, with PSG aiming to start their title defence strong.

Europe’s top 36 teams to have qualified for the competition will have eight matches to finish inside the top 24 for a chance to progress to the next stage. Matchweek 1 is where it all starts.

Quick Picks

Our pick: PSG to win

Value bet: Real Madrid to win

Long shot: Liverpool-Atletico Draw

Betting Preview

All Matchweek 1 fixtures are below, with KO times in AEST:

Club Brugge vs Aston Villa - 9/9 at 02:45

AEK vs LASK - 9/9 at 02:45

Porto vs Man City - 9/9 at 05:00

Real Madrid vs Inter - 9/9 at 05:00

Dortmund vs Villarreal - 9/9 at 05:00

LOSC vs Betis - 9/9 at 05:00

Barcelona vs Feyenoord - 10/9 at 02:45

Stuttgart vs Viking - 10/9 at 02:45

Napoli vs Arsenal - 10/9 at 05:00

Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid - 10/9 at 05:00

PSG vs Slovan Bratislava - 10/9 at 05:00

Sporting vs Galatasaray - 10/9 at 05:00

Fenerbahçe vs Roma - 11/9 at 02:45

PSV vs Shakhtar Donetsk - 11/9 at 02:45

Bayern Munich vs Bodo/Glimt - 11/9 at 05:00

Slavia Praha vs Lens - 11/9 at 05:00

Como vs RB Leipzig - 11/9 at 05:00

Man Utd vs Sabah - 11/9 at 05:00

Betting Markets to Watch

The stand-out fixture is the Jose Mourinho derby, as he leads Real Madrid against Inter Milan. Having won the UCL with Inter, he’ll be aiming to add another title to his resume and his first European title with Real.

The early odds heavily favour the Spanish side , although Arda Guler, Eduardo Camavinga and Bernardo Silva are all suspended. Aurelien Tchouameni could be missing through injury, too, leaving the midfield looking extremely light.

Inter are a ‘dark horse’ for many, having added quality and play for the first time since being embarrassed by Bodo/Glimt in last year’s qualifiers after finishing runners-up the year before.

Interesting betting markets here include Vinicius Jr +3 shots , a total Real’s Brazilian maestro has managed in his last 10 UCL appearances.

Arsenal finished runners-up last time, and will start their aim to go one better this season against Napoli in Italy. They last played in Naples in 2019, with an Alex Lacazette free-kick being enough for a 1-0 victory in the Europa League quarter-finals (3-0 aggregate).

Napoli struggled last season in the UCL (30th) but will be led under Massimiliano Allegri. The Gunners are favourites, and will be likely winners, while more value may be find in Kai Havertz to score . He has seven goals in his last 10 UCL matches for Arsenal.

Liverpool and Atletico Madrid meet again, having done so in MW1 last season. A lot has changed for the Reds, with Andoni Iraola in charge, Mo Salah gone, and Bradley Barcola arriving. The last time they played at Anfield, Liverpool won 3-2 with a last-minute effort by Van Dijk.

The EPL side remain strong favourites , although this game could have better value in the draw , based on how well the two teams have been performing so far.

Florian Wirtz seems to save his best performances for Liverpool in Europe, and has created an average of 3.2 chances per UCL game for the Reds. The odds for Wirtz to score or assist may look interesting.

If you fancy the visitors but want a safety net against the stalemate, it is worth understanding what is draw no bet before you weigh this one up.

PSG are huge favourites to start with a win, as are Man City, Barcelona, and Stuttgart.

Our Prediction

Check the latest UCL betting odds at Sportsbet. Our top prediction is for PSG to be likely winners.

A value pick is for Real Madrid to likely beat Inter , while Liverpool-Atletico has long shot value as a draw.

For markets beyond the Champions League, you can also browse the latest soccer odds across every competition.