Champions League Golden Boot odds, predictions and betting tips: Argentina aces can upset big guns in battle for Boot

Where to watch the 2023-24 Champions League

TNT Sports, starts 5.45pm Tuesday

Best bets

Julian Alvarez
1pt each-way 40-1 bet365

Lautaro Martinez
1pt each-way 66-1 general

2023-24 Champions League Golden Boot predictions

For the first time in almost 20 years, neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi will be involved in the Champions League but there is plenty of star quality in the race for the Golden Boot despite those high-profile non-runners.

Erling Haaland hacked up in this heat last season with 12 goals, four more than Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and five more than Kylian Mbappe and Vincius Junior.

Haaland did most of the damage early on, failing to find the net in either leg of the semi-final or in the final, and his backers will be hoping he can cash in against unfancied group opponents Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade.

With Bayern Munich expected to go well, Harry Kane is a serious contender although he scored only one goal, a penalty, in eight Champions League starts for Tottenham last season.

Mbappe's hopes could be scuppered by an early exit for Paris St-Germain and the same applies to Robert Lewandowski, now 35, at Barcelona, who failed to make it out of their group in 2022-23.

Benfica midfielder Joao Mario finished just one goal out of the places last season despite his side's quarter-final elimination and it may be worth taking on the big guns with a couple of each-way challengers.

Haaland's teammate Julian Alvarez had a memorable 2022-23 season, scoring four goals in Argentina's World Cup triumph in Qatar before helping City win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

Alvarez scored nine league goals from 13 starts and 18 substitute appearances last term and his 17 goals in all competitions included one in the semi-final win over Real Madrid.

He started City's first five league games this season, scoring twice, and looks set to play a significant role especially if Haaland, who benefited from a break during the World Cup last year, is rested more regularly.

Alvarez displaced Lautaro Martinez as Argentina's main striker during the World Cup but the Inter man enjoyed a superb second half of the season at club level.

Martinez scored 20 goals in 35 appearances after returning from Qatar and he has started the new campaign with five in four for the Nerazzurri, who reached last season's Champions League final and have a favourable group-stage draw alongside Benfica, Real Sociedad and Salzburg.

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