The UEFA Champions League returns to action this midweek as Matchday 3 arrives with plenty of big-time matchups between some of the most notable names in European soccer. You can catch all the matches on Paramount+.
Tuesday saw a host of goals, with 43 across all matches. The biggest teams — Arsenal, Barcelona, Inter, PSG — all advanced easily, none scoring fewer than four goals. Manchester City and Newcastle also both won, though the day was not without upsets as Napoli went down to PSV Eindhoven 6-2.
Will Wednesday bring similar high-scoring action? Real Madrid face Juventus in Spain to headline the action, but there’s plenty of other action. Chelsea host Ajax, Bayern Munich host Club Brugge, Liverpool are at Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham Hotspur head to Monaco.
Expert picks are in from the CBS Sports soccer editorial staff. Dive into the predictions below.
Don’t miss any of the Champions League. As always, you can catch all of our coverage across Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network all season long.
Champions League matches on Wednesday
Game of the day: Real Madrid vs. Juventus, 3 p.m. ET
Player to watch: Jonathan David, Juventus: A year ago, David was the hero when Lille downed Real Madrid in the league phase. He faces off against the Spanish giants, this time desperately needing to show he is anything like the sort of striker who can match the output of Kylian Mbappe in European competitions, like he did last season. So far, he isn’t getting close. Just one shot on target so far this season and zero shots of any variety in back to back starts against AC Milan and Como. The bar could scarcely be lower. — James Benge
Man of the match: Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid — Juventus are currently going through a challenging moment and they need a positive result, but it won’t be easy against Real Madrid. In particular, their disappointing defensive performances will be challenged by French striker Kylian Mbappe, who already scored 15 goals in 11 matches played so far in all competitions, including a hat trick against Kairat in the opening fixture of the season. — Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Real Madrid 3, Juventus 1 — Xabi Alonso’s version of Real Madrid is essentially an exercise in restrained efficiency so modest scorelines come more naturally to Los Blancos these days than lopsided victories, but they can make a rare exception and they just might do so on Wednesday. Juventus are a bit all over the place to start the season, which may make it open season for Kylian Mbappe and his colleagues as they look to extend their perfect start to Champions League play. Alonso has a wide range of attackers at his disposal, too, each of them probably eager to make their mark in Europe as the manager continues to rotate through his options while leaving Mbappe front and center. — Pardeep Cattry
Best bet: Both teams to score and Real Madrid to win (+187): They have too much on the attacking end for Juventus to overcome, especially if Italian side couldn’t cope with Como away from home over the weekend. But Xabi Alonso’s defense has also given up chances and with talented attackers like Kenan Yildiz, Juventus will find a way to get one goal. Unfortunately once they do, they have to deal with stopping Kylian Mbappe. — Chuck Booth
Chelsea vs. Ajax, 3 p.m. ET
Player to watch: Pedro Neto, Chelsea: Enzo Maresca could be without a host of key attackers on Wednesday, including Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and potentially Enzo Fernandez. Someone is going to need to step up in their absence and Neto might just be the most senior forward in the Chelsea XI at kickoff. The Portugal winger has not come close to a consistent run of form that might justify the $70 million plus that was paid to Wolves for his services. However, a sprightly game against Nottingham Forest is at least something to build on. — James Benge
Man of the match: Estevao, Chelsea: The talented Brazilian striker is expected to start his first ever Champions League’s match on Wednesday after playing 45 minutes between the game against Benfica and the one against Bayern Munich. Match after match, he’s becoming an increasingly important part of Enzo Maresca’s rotations, having also scored a last-minute winner against Liverpool. Now, he looks ready to take the next step and make his mark on the European stage. — Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Chelsea 3, Ajax 0 — There is no greater treat for a team in inconsistent form than an opponent that will allow them to reverse course, even if the joy only lasts for 90 minutes. Chelsea may have some injuries to contend with and a habit for picking up red cards that hampers their ability to win games more often than it should, but Ajax have been incredibly unimpressive in their first Champions League season in three years, having conceded six goals in two games while scoring none, vulnerable on set pieces and mistake-prone at the back. The Blues just punished Nottingham Forest for having similar attributes over the weekend, so expect Enzo Maresca’s side to collect their second win of the European season in the process. — Pardeep Cattry
Best bet: Chelsea to win to nil (+120): While the Blues have had their ups and downs this season, this iteration of Ajax looks nothing like the ones who used to challenge for the round of 16 every campaign in Champions League play. Chelsea’s defense and former Ajax man Jorrel Hato will be able to take care of business winning at home at Stamford Bridge for a much needed three points in the league phase. — Chuck Booth
