The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals began with a bang this week as the competition moved into its business end with a pair of draws that saw ten total goals as the points where shared between Real Madrid and Manchester City and Arsenal and Bayern Munich.
On Wednesday, Kylian Mbappe's farewell tour with Paris Saint-Germain continues against Barcelona, who may have finally found some consistency despite the uncertainty that faces them with Xavi's impending departure. Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, host Borussia Dortmund after escaping out of their round of 16 tie with Inter in a penalty shootout.
Here's a lookahead at this week's matchups, including predictions from our experts of the first leg ties.
Don't miss all of the Champions League storylines, and as always you can catch all of our coverage across Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network all season long.
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Here's how to watch all the games, what to know, our expert picks and more:
Champions League TV schedule
All times Eastern
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10 | TIME | HOW TO WATCH |
---|---|---|
CBS Sports Golazo Matchday | 1 p.m. | CBS Sports Golazo Network |
UEFA Champions League Today Pre-Match | 2 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ |
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Barcelona | 3 p.m. | CBS, Paramount+ |
Atletico Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund | 3 p.m. | |
Multicast Stream | 3 p.m. | |
UEFA Champions League Today Post-Match | 5 p.m. | |
Scoreline | 5 p.m. | CBS Sports Golazo Network |
The Champions Club | 8 p.m. | CBS Sports Golazo Network |
Wednesday's Champions League picks
PSG vs. Barcelona
By Jonathan Johnson
One matchup to watch: Ousmane Dembele vs. Joao Cancelo -- The France international going up against his former club promises to be box office viewing. The versatile Portuguese full back is most likely to find himself up against Dembele which could mean chances for PSG and particularly Kylian Mbappe. This matchup could go a long way towards deciding the outcome of this opening leg.
Most likely to score a goal: Kylian Mbappe -- No prizes for guessing that the French superstar is the most likely to find himself on the score sheet. In what could be a sneak preview of Mbappe going up against Barca with Real Madrid next season, Les Bleus' captain will want to make sure that he does not miss this chance to shine.
Man of the Match pick: Vitinha -- The Portugal international has grown in importance under Luis Enrique and is now an accomplished performer in the middle of the park. Although Warren Zaire-Emery could play a significant role in the midfield, expect Vitinha to be equally or more active in terms of getting the ball to PSG's lethal front line.
Match prediction: 2-1 -- Expect goals for both sides but PSG's unbeaten run dating back to November suggests that they could come out on top. The French champions did their damage away from home the last time these two met but are better armed up against this current version of Barca.
Atletico Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund
By Chuck Booth
One matchup to watch: Antoine Griezmann vs. Emre Can - In the midst of one of his best seasons in an Atletico Madrid shirt, Antoine Griezmann's performances pace what the Spanish side are able to do. From roaming where he pleases in attack to shoot and interchange with Alvaro Morata, to creating chances for those around him, there's a reason why he has 19 goals and seven assists so far this season. Deputizing in midfield for the Black and Yellow, it will be up to Can to track Griezmann in what will be a tie-defining clash. The winner of the battle between these two players will likely determine who advances to the final four of Champions League play.
Most likely to score a goal: Alvaro Morata – Morata has come into his own in Madrid with 20 goals in all competitions and already has five in the Champions League so far this season. Always on the same page with Griezmann, the duo have formed a formidable partnership that will keep the Dortmund defense on their toes. In big matches this season, Dortmund has struggled to contain top strikers and that trend will continue.
Man of the Match pick: Antoine Griezmann: While Dortmund will still find a way to get a goal of their own, Atletico Madrid will have their chances to make this feel like points dropped due to Griezmann's creativity. Assisting Morata's lone goal while also pulling the strings of the attack will be enough for man of the match honors even if they will be of the dubious variety during this match.
Match prediction: Borussia Dortmund 1, Atletico Madrid 1: In the Champions League, while Dortmund haven't looked good in most of their matches, they've found a way to get a result and the same has been true for Atleti as well. It won't be a very watchable match between these two sides but a draw will make for an epic second leg.