The UEFA Champions League is back with another round of league fixtures this week that will ask some of Europe’s top teams to prove their worth just weeks into the competition.
The week’s action kicked off with Arsenal handling PSG 2-0 at home while both Barcelona and Manchester City cruised to easy wins. Wednesday could see some fireworks as Aston Villa’s clash with Bayern Munich brings top-level Champions League football back to Villa Stadium. Teams such as Real Madrid and Liverpool, meanwhile, are looking to build on their strong starts to the campaigns, while the likes of Juventus and Atletico Madrid are looking 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.
Don’t miss any of the Champions League. As always, you can catch all our coverage over there Most important+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network throughout the season.
Here are our expert picks for this fight day:
wednesday
Lille against Real Madrid
Watch player: Jonathan David — The striker started his pre-agency season in exactly the fashion needed to convince those who have yet to take the plunge on the Canadian. Through six Ligue 1 games he has five goals, add in some big contributions to get Lille to the league stage 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 recovers from his injury, England midfielder Jude Bellingham must step up and push his team to victory against Lille. Bellingham are still winless in their first six games of the season, and the clash against the French side is the best chance to win their first. — Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Lille 0-2 Real — It’s no surprise that Real are strong favorites to come away with the win here. There is no France return for Kylian Mbappe at the moment as he is injured, so expect there to be less of a sense of occasion around this one. LOSC can make life difficult for opponents but suffered a bad 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 difficult, 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 I’ll take every time. — Chuck Booth
Aston Villa vs. Bayern Munich
Watch player: Michael Olise — The winger should like this one. The last time he faced Aston Villa, he and his Crystal Palace teammates exposed vulnerabilities in Unai Emery’s defense that don’t appear to have been addressed over the summer. The France 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 in his return to the land of his birth. –James Benge
Man of the match: Harry Kane — The English striker has already scored four goals in the Champions League opener against Dinamo Zagreb as 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: Village 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 because of the European Cup history of this fixture. Goals for both sides will be expected, but Bayern’s superior continental pedigree could end up being the difference after the 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 stage play. Aston Villa are tough customers at home, but when it comes down to it, defending Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise will be too much.
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