Top Favorites in Champions League Final History: Man City vs. Inter

This year’s Champions League final promises to be fiercely competitive, but many supporters have a favorite team they believe will secure victory.

As Paris Saint-Germain faces Inter Milan on Saturday, the underdogs are aware of their potential to contend for the European championship, regardless of the narrative leading up to the match.

Inter Milan, despite being labeled as underdogs, have experience in these high-stakes games and have previously posed tough challenges, no matter the pre-match hype.

The Sporting News provides insights into how this year’s final compares to the most uneven pre-match odds in Champions League history.

Top Favorites in Champions League Final History

Per Oddsportal, the 2023 final featuring Manchester City against Inter Milan recorded the largest gap in pre-match betting odds in the last two decades.

Manchester City were marked as -225 (4/9) favorites to defeat Inter Milan in the regulation time of the 2023 final and a hefty -550 to clinch the trophy through any outcome, including extra time or penalties. They upheld this expectation with a 1-0 victory, thanks to a goal from Rodri in the 68th minute, although the match was competitive throughout.

Before this, the biggest pre-match favorite was Barcelona in 2015, where Lionel Messi led the team to a 3-1 win against Juventus, coming into the match as -161 favorites on the moneyline, or -323 to win the trophy.

The most notable upset in terms of pre-match favorites was Bayern Munich in 2012, who lost to Chelsea 2-1 despite being -143 favorites on the moneyline and -250 to win overall. Chelsea entered the match as significant underdogs at +200 and ultimately triumphed.

Throughout the past 20 years, the final that posed the greatest challenge to bettors was the 2009 clash between Manchester United and Barcelona, featuring talented rosters on both sides. Barcelona, entering as +175 underdogs, won the trophy with a 2-0 triumph, with goals from Samuel Eto’o and Messi, overcoming the +161 favored Manchester United in Rome.

2025 Champions League Final Odds

In this upcoming final, PSG is slightly favored, though the betting markets appear to be presenting Inter with a more favorable outlook this time around.

Both clubs have odds indicating a potential for a close match, with Inter Milan at +135 to claim the title, a notable improvement from two years prior.

Additionally, there is considerable uncertainty regarding how the match will unfold, with odds reflecting a balance on total goals, indicating that the outcome could either be high-scoring or more conservative.