The race for the knockout stages begins to heat up on Matchday 5 of the UEFA Champions League, with just three teams boasting perfect records as the second half of the league phase begins.
Two of those standout teams – Arsenal and Bayern Munich – headline the week’s action with a meeting in North London, each of them eager to bolster their argument as Champions League title contenders with top spot up for grabs. Elsewhere in the English capital, Barcelona traveled to Chelsea on Tuesday only to be handed a resounding defeat after going down to 10-men before the end of the first half.
Meanwhile in Paris, reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain will host Tottenham Hotspur in a rematch of August’s thrilling UEFA Super Cup. Though Spurs went toe-to-toe with PSG, taking a 2-0 lead before relinquishing it in the final minutes of the game, they have been inconsistent since and were downright drab in a 4-1 loss at Arsenal on Sunday. PSG, though, will be without Achraf Hakimi and could also miss Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue.
Here’s how the CBS Sports team thinks this week’s action will shake out.
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Champions League matches on Wednesday
Game of the day: Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich, 3 p.m. ET
Player to watch: Riccardo Calafiori, Arsenal: If the Gunners are going to extend their clean sheet streak in the league phase they are going to need their star defenders to win their individual duels. You would fancy Jurrien Timber to do the business especially with Luis Diaz suspended for Bayern. Calafiori is eminently capable of going toe to toe with Michael Olise as well, but it is surely on that flank, against one of the best forwards in the world right now, that Bayern will back themselves to have the greatest joy. If Calafiori can hold that side down and make his regular darts up field, Arsenal could emerge victorious in this massive tie. — James Benge
Man of the match: Michael Olise, Bayern Munich: On one side the Colombian striker Luis Diaz has been the best player on the German team this season so far, and had a huge impact on the excellent performances of the side coached by Vincent Kompany. But he, and his three goals scored in the opening four games in the league phase, are suspended. On the other side of the pitch, however, Frenchman Michael Olise has been equally impressive and he returns to London where he played for Crystal Palace aiming to show he’s among the best in the world this season. — Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Arsenal 1, Bayern Munich 1 – Arsenal’s defense is as stingy as any, but if there is any goal scorer who can break it down, it is Harry Kane – even without the added incentive of facing the Gunners as a boyhood Tottenham Hotspur fan and academy product. Mikel Arteta’s side have a wide range of scorers to count upon to break down Bayern Munich’s defense, too, but expect a closely contested game between two of the competition’s most consistent teams. Bayern, too, are turning into a defensive juggernaut in Vincent Kompany’s second season and might be able to give the Gunners a taste of their own medicine in the process. — Pardeep Cattry
Best bet: Draw (+240): Two of the best defenses in the world will meet and try to push each other to their limits, but these are also situations where there isn’t a huge incentive for either team to actually win. Two undefeated teams atop the league phase who are all but guaranteed spots in the top eight of the table, I expect to see a couple of goals but defense will win out here as the points are shared.– Chuck Booth
PSG vs. Tottenham, 3 p.m. ET
Player to watch: Micky van de Ven, Tottenham: One of the most impressive performers in Spurs’ near miss against PSG in the Super Cup, Van de Ven has only grown in importance since. Not only a defensive stalwart, the Dutch center back is proving himself to be a dynamic progressor of the ball and a legitimate attacking threat, the latter being something Thomas Frank’s side are altogether too short on. — James Benge
Man of the match: Nuno Mendes, PSG: With the injury of Achraf Hakimi a lot of the attacking strategies of the French giants will come from the left wing where Nuno Mendes will play and he has a lot of potential to make some problems to Tottenham. The Portuguese winger already scored twice this season outside the French league and we can expect more starting from Wednesday’s match. — Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Paris Saint-Germain 2, Tottenham Hotspur 0 – Paris Saint-Germain may be missing some of their stars but Khvicha Kvaratskhelia can probably hold down the fort in the meantime, especially against a Tottenham Hotspur team for whom few things are going right currently. Manager Thomas Frank maybe should take inspiration from his own gameplan during the Super Cup in August, especially after Sunday’s 0.07 expected goals showing at Arsenal, but he has yet to demonstrate an ability to shake his conservative tendencies. Never say never – after all, the pressure’s on – but do not hold your breath. — Pardeep Cattry
Best bet: Mickey Van De Ven 1+ shots on target (+410): Tottenham’s leading scorer in all competitions, Van De Ven will have an impact on this game. Even if it’s not coming from a set play, Van De Ven has the license to get forward, and he does it well. It’s still strange that what Tottenham have done is mostly working, but the Dutchman is a key reason why. — Chuck Booth
