The UEFA Champions League returned with another round of riveting league phase fixtures this week that will ask a handful of Europe’s top teams to prove their worth just weeks into the competition.
The week’s action started off with Arsenal handling PSG 2-0 at home while both Barcelona and Manchester City walked to easy victories. Wednesday could see some fireworks as Aston Villa’s faceoff with Bayern Munich brings top level Champions League football back to Villa Stadium. Teams like Real Madrid and Liverpool, meanwhile, aim to build upon their strong starts to the campaigns, while the likes of Juventus and Atletico Madrid look to establish themselves with strong starts to the tournament.
Before Wednesday’s action begins, here’s a look at expert picks and predictions from the CBSSports.com team.
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Here are our expert picks for this matchday:
Wednesday
Lille vs. Real Madrid
Player to watch: Jonathan David — The striker has started his pre-agency season in just the fashion needed to convince those who have not yet taken the plunge on the Canadian. Through six Ligue 1 games he has five goals, add some big contributions to get Lille to the league phase and you have a player who really should be on the radars of top sides. Perhaps a goal against the European champions would be all it takes to convince potential suitors. — James Benge
Man of the match: Jude Bellingham — With Kylian Mbappe still in doubt for the game as he’s recovering from his injury, English midfielder Jude Bellingham has to step up and drive his team to the win against Lille. Bellingham still hasn’t scored in his first six games of the season, and the matchup against the French side is the best opportunity to score his first one. — Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Lille 0-2 Real — There is no surprise that Real are strong favorites to come away with the win here. There is no French return for Kylian Mbappe for now as he is out injured so expect there to be less of a sense of occasion around this one. LOSC can make life tricky for opponents but suffered a poor loss last time out and will be bracing for another defeat here. — Jonathan Johnson
Best bet: Real Madrid to win and over 2.5 goals (+115) — Finding value in betting on Real Madrid matches can be hard but it’s always safe to assume two things. First, Real Madrid will win, and, second, there will be goals. Being able to get both of these things combined for plus money is a bet that I’m going to take every time. — Chuck Booth
Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich
Player to watch: Michael Olise — The winger ought to fancy this one. The last time he ran into Aston Villa he and his Crystal Palace teammates exposed vulnerabilities in Unai Emery’s defense that don’t seem to have been addressed over the summer. The French international has hit the ground running with Bayern, three goals and two assists in his last three games putting him in the perfect position to excel on his return to the country where he was born. — James Benge
Man of the match: Harry Kane — The English striker has already scored four goals in the opening Champions League clash against Dinamo Zagreb, when Bayern Munich were able to win 9-2 against the Croatian team. There is no reason to think he can’t score again against his former Premier League rivals. — Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Villa 1-2 Bayern — Overall, the German giants are favorites to win and make it six points from six. However, Villa got a good win last time out and this will be a huge European night at Villa Park given this fixture’s European Cup history. Goals for both sides will be expected, but Bayern’s superior continental pedigree could end up being the difference come he end of 90 minutes. — Jonathan Johnson
Best bet: Bayern Munich to win (-140): Coming off a league draw with Bayer Leverkusen, Vincent Kompany will want Bayern to come out of the gate quickly to get to six points in league phase play. Aston Villa are tough customers at home, but when it gets down to it, defending Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise will be too much.
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