Expert picks, predictions and best Champions League bets: Can Arsenal thrive against Inter? Huge match between PSG and Atleti

UEFA Champions League action resumed this week with a series of high-profile matches as we approach the halfway point of the league stage.

Liverpool kept their perfect record intact for four games, with a 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen. Tuesday’s action also included Real Madrid being surprised at home by AC Milan in the first match after a lopsided defeat in El Clásico. And, in the most notable match of Ruben Amorim’s Sporting Lisbon farewell tour, a showdown against future foes Manchester City, Amorim came out surprisingly well, handing City their third consecutive defeat in style by a 4-1 scoreline.

Meanwhile, Arsenal’s trip to Inter headlines Wednesday’s action. Both teams have impeccable defensive records so far in the Champions League, without conceding a single goal so far, and could use the game to make a statement about their title aspirations.

Ahead of the action, here’s how the CBS Sports team thinks matchday four will play out.

Don’t miss anything from the Champions League. As always, you can watch all of our coverage on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network all season long.

Here are our expert picks for this day:

Wednesday

Inter vs Arsenal

Player to watch: Declan Rice — It’s probably just a hangover from the Euros, but apart from the draw with Liverpool, this hasn’t been a good start to the season for Rice. With Martin Odegaard sidelined and Thomas Partey out of midfield, Mikel Arteta needs his record signing in his prime at the San Siro. –James Benge

Player of the match: Bukayo Saka. The English winger is the player the Nerazzurri fear the most. After a solid start to the season, where he scored three goals and provided seven assists in nine Premier League games, Saka is ready to shine at the San Siro against the 2023 Champions League finalists. –Francisco Porzio

Prediction: Inter 1, Arsenal 1 — The Gunners have just two wins from their last five, so things are getting tougher for Mikel Arteta of late with Liverpool sweeping the Premier League title race. Both teams have seven points from nine in the League Phase so far, while the Nerazzurri are also one point behind Napoli in Serie A. Given Inter’s ability to compete close to Manchester City in the Champions League, this It seems like it will be the best. a fairly close match with a tie on the scoreboard that sounds good. -Jonathan Johnson

Best bet: Best bet: Tie (+210) — So far, when the best teams have faced each other in the Champions League, it hasn’t exactly been exciting, and this could be a continuation of that. Neither team particularly needs a win, but both have strong defenses and don’t mind if the game gets a little physical. I wouldn’t put an entire unit on such a specific outcome, but I second the points being shared. – Chuck’s Cabin

PSG against Atlético de Madrid

Player to watch: Antoine Griezmann. The pressure increases for Atlético. In such scenarios there tends to be one man who delivers (well, except the goalkeeper). Although Diego Simeone has been building an attack for life after Griezmann, the Frenchman continues to deliver results. Four goals and five assists have come at a rate of one every 122 minutes. When Atleti were in trouble against Leipzig, it was Griezmann who pulled them out. Might as well do the same this week. –James Benge

Player of the match: Ousmane Dembélé. The former FC Barcelona winger had a strong start to the 2024-25 season where he has already scored five goals and provided four assists in Ligue 1, while he has yet to score his first goal of the season in the Champions League and the clash against his Spanish ex. rivals is the perfect opportunity to make it happen. –Francisco Porzio

Prediction: PSG 2, Atleti 1 — This is a big match for both teams as Luis Enrique and Diego Simeone need a win. The French giants have looked more convincing so far given the missed opportunities to bury their opponents, but their Spanish opponents are under pressure, having already lost twice. This one is likely to be quite tense and tight, but PSG should have enough to emerge victorious and win the second phase of the league. -Jonathan Johnson

Best bet: Both teams will score (-134) — It’s a clash between some of the worst players in the Champions League so far: PSG and Atlético Madrid. While the underlying numbers support PSG turning things around, that doesn’t mean they will be able to fend off Atleti’s potent attack. It’s a good game to keep it simple, with both scoring at least one goal. – Chuck’s Cabin