Champions League action returns on Wednesday with Newcastle vs. PSG and RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City

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Hello! I'm Pardeep Cattry with another round of Champions League updates after yesterday's exciting matchups and ahead of today's equally enticing games.

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📺 Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Wednesday, Oct. 4
🇪🇺 Champions League: Newcastle United vs. Paris Saint-Germain, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🌍 Copa Libertadores: Internacional vs. Fluminense, 8:30 p.m. ➡️ beIN Sports
🇺🇸 MLS: Chicago vs. Inter Miami, 8:30 p.m. ➡️ MLS Season Pass

Thursday, Oct. 5
🇪🇺 Europa League: Liverpool vs. Union Saint-Gilloise ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇺 Conference League: Aston Villa vs. Zrinjski ➡️ Paramount+
🌍 Copa Libertadores: Palmeiras vs. Boca Juniors, 8:30 p.m. ➡️ beIN Sports

🌑Make sure to check out our full slate of Champions League coverage for Matchday 2.

📺 What's on CBS Sports Golazo Network

☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans get their day started on the network's flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you'll never have to miss an episode.

📦 Box 2 Box (Weekday afternoons): The news-driven show quickly recaps all the latest headlines from around the world with panelists previewing the top matchups of the day. Catch Box 2 Box on CBS Sports Golazo Network on the CBS Sports app, PlutoTV and Paramount+.

3️⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Friday evening): The leading women's soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. Watch Monday and Friday a 6 p.m. this week as our analysts break down the best highlights and analysis and share insider information for all things women's soccer.

👟 Kickin' It (Wednesday, 7 p.m.): CBS Sports Golazo Network's new unfiltered interview show returns Wednesday After Thierry Henry's blockbuster turn, Matt Turner is in the hot seat next episode. Hosted by Kate Abdo, Clint Dempsey, Mo Edu and Charlie Davies, the group chat candidly with the biggest names from the Beautiful Game and share their stories from on and off the pitch.

🥅 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can't-miss goals from the day's action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.

📺 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.

⚽ The Forward Line

⭐ Bellingham dazzles again

On a day full of drama in the Champions League, one person stood out above the rest. Jude Bellingham scored and picked up an assist in Real Madrid's 3-2 win over Napoli, bringing him up to eight goals and three assists in nine games across all competitions for the Spanish side. The match showcased the Englishman's qualities both in front of goal -- he had three shots, one on target -- as well as his talents as a playmaker with four chances created.

It's been is nothing short of a dream start to life in the Spanish capital. The team's head coach, Carlo Ancelotti also said after the match that the 20-year-old brings plenty of intangibles that arguably make him the star of the European season so far.

Ancelotti: "I'm not sure [he's only 20]. You have to check the passport. … A fantastic player, strong character, personality. I'm really surprised for this. It's difficult to find a player, 20 years old, with such strong character and personality. A fantastic sign for us."

Tuesday was not nearly as kind to Manchester United, who saw Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund finally deliver the goods but still somehow managed to lose 3-2 to Galatasaray because of a leaky defense. United are now up to six losses in 11 games this season, which once again puts a lot of pressure on Erik ten Hag, who hopes the loss serves as motivation ahead of Sunday's Premier League match against Brentford that feels like a must-win.

Ten Hag: "Everyone is today disappointed, frustrated. That has to be the fuel to get up again. That is our job. That is our demand. That is also our obligation to everyone in this club, to our fans and get ready for [Sunday]. … We have to do better to win a game because it's all about that."

🔗 Midfield Link Play

🏠 Newcastle's big night

For the first time in 20 years, St James' Park will host a Champions League match, but it is no ordinary matchup -- Newcastle United will host Paris Saint-Germain on their big night. The visitors are trying to make a point after losing Lionel Messi and Neymar, bringing on manager Luis Enrique, and convincing Kylian Mbappe to stay put and have seen positive early returns of the rebuild.

The match, of course, comes with an off-field point of intrigue. Both teams are frequently cited examples of sportswashing -- PSG are owned by Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, while Newcastle were recently bought by Saudi Arabia's counterpart. Though Newcastle made the Champions League two short years after the new owners came in and went on a spending spree, Jonathan Johnson notes there are still plenty of contrasts between the two projects.

Johnson: "[The match] is also the latest step on PSG's quest to win the entire thing and potentially the first for Newcastle depending on how their lavish project takes shape in the coming years. There was no statement of intent from Yasir Al-Rumayyan upon arrival as the new chairman back in 2021 as there was with Parisien counterpart Nasser Al-Khelaifi when Qatar Sports Investments acquired the French champions in 2011. Newcastle are coming into this edition with no major expectations hanging over them yet PSG have been under pressure in Europe from day one."

The odds favor PSG, who are very much seen as top dogs in arguably the most competitive group of the competition. They currently sit top of Group F, while Newcastle and AC Milan are tied for second with a point each. Milan will have the chance to rack up some more points when they travel to Borussia Dortmund today.

🔗 Top Stories

🏆 2030 World Cup host named: Spain, Portugal, and Morocco will co-host the 2030 World Cup, with Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay opening the tournament at home to celebrate the tournament's centennial.

⏪ Catch up: Here are some takeaways from yesterday's Champions League action, including more on Bellingham's brilliance, Inter's win over Benfica, and Braga's last-gasp winner over Union Berlin.

🔴 Misery in Manchester: Manchester United's loss to Galtasaray comes down to a lack of organization on the pitch and perhaps a culture issue off it.

🇫🇷 French connection: Lens stunned Arsenal with a 2-1 win in which Elye Wahi was the star, proving that the Stade Bollaert-Delelis is a hard place to play. The result is not the only bad news for Arsenal -- Bukayo Saka came off with an injury.

🇮🇹 Musah in Milan: USMNT midfielder Yunus Musah speaks to CBS Sports about his move to AC Milan and his growth in a team with ambitions of silverware.

📹 VAR tapes released: The PGMOL released the audio of the shocking call that resulted in a Liverpool wrongly being disallowed, which could be costly to the team's Premier League ambitions and has Jurgen Klopp asking for a replay.

🇺🇸 Playoff push: The San Diego Wave became the first team to clinch an NWSL playoff berth, while Houston picked up points at Gotham's expense, ensuring there's still plenty of chaos as the regular season reaches its conclusion.

🇪🇸 Spain players testify: Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes, and Misa Rodriguez testified against Luis Rubiales in a criminal proceeding against the ex-federation president.

📺 Turner on Kickin' It: USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner is the guest on this week's episode of Kickin' It, and he talks about the eccentricity of shot-stoppers -- including his ex-Arsenal teammate Aaron Ramsdale.

💰 The Back Line

💵 Best bets

Champions League: Newcastle vs. PSG, Wednesday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Alexander Isak to score (+125) -- The easiest bet to place is on Kylian Mbappe to score, but Isak is in strong form with four goals in league play this season and could give his side a chance against the French champions.
Europa League: Liverpool vs. Union Saint-Gilloise, Thursday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Liverpool to win 2-0 (+675) -- Jurgen Klopp is expected to rotate heavily once for this matchup, but even a Liverpool side without their top stars should be able to pick up a routine win.