The journey towards Europe’s biggest prize marches on as the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second legs are underway. Tuesday saw Chelsea turn things around and eliminate Borussia Dortmund while Benfica slammed the door shut against struggling Club Brugge. On Wednesday, PSG and Bayern Munich face off as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and company have their backs against the wall, looking to overcome a 1-0 deficit in Bavaria, while Tottenham welcome AC Milan to London.
As always, CBS Sports and Paramount+ will be your home for all things UCL.
Here’s our predictions for each match and more:
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Wednesday’s broadcast schedule
(All times U.S./Eastern)
Coverage starts each day at 2 pm. with Champions League Today on CBS and Paramount+. Paramount+ will offer a multicast feature allowing subscribers to watch two matches simultaneously in a split-screen view. You can try one month free by using the code: ADVANCE.
Match picks
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Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern Munich
Featured Game | Bayern Munchen vs. Paris
One matchup to watch: Dayot Upamecano vs. Kylian Mbappe — The two France international teammates are likely to see a lot of each other come Wednesday. Although Matthijs de Ligt might also be brough more central given Benjamin Pavard’s suspension, Mbappe will likely favor going up against Upamecano where possible given his knowledge of his fellow Frenchman. The first leg was all about Mbappe and he only came on as a second half substitute before ripping into Bayern with the help of Nuno Mendes. Expect 90 minutes of PSG trying to do just that again here.
Most likely to score a goal: Mbappe — The opening leg only really came to life when Mbappe came on and his introduction transformed PSG. With the French champions’ season effectively on the line here, expect Mbappe to at least have some say as Christophe Galtier’s men attempt to score their way to qualification. Given what we have seen from Les Parisiens against Lille and Marseille domestically, no Neymar in Bavaria could actually benefit PSG as it simplifies things in attack and maximizes the impact of Mbappe’s searing pace.
Man of the Match pick: Nuno Mendes — The Portugal international was sensational in the second half of the first leg and Galtier will try to replicate that showing as PSG really tested Yann Sommer in the Bayern goal. Whether it will be enough depends on how clinical Mbappe and Lionel Messi can be, but the LOSC and OM showings have been promising as far as goals are concerned. The only concern over Mendes might be his ability to go the full 90 and potentially beyond given his recent knock against Lille.
Match prediction: Bayern 1-3 PSG (after extra time) — Such a result would put the Ligue 1 leaders through and the Bundesliga giants out. Julian Nagelsmann’s men really should have buried Galtier’s side in Paris when they had the chance. Counterattacking suits this PSG side and Mbappe in particular who has already shown his ability to deliver at Allianz Arena in recent years. Gianluigi Donnarumma could be the difference in whether or not this one goes beyond 90 minutes, but do not be surprised if PSG fly out of the traps looking to erase Bayern’s first-leg advantage as soon as possible.
-Jonathan Johnson
Tottenham vs. AC Milan
Featured Game | Tottenham Hotspur vs. AC Milan
One matchup to watch: Harry Kane vs. Fikayo Tomori – Tottenham will definitely need to score soon during the match if they want to have chances to make it to the quarter finals of this season. Harry Kane will play against Fikayo Tomori in what it’s going to be one of the most interesting duels of the game. Tomori is not playing particularly well this season and comes from a big mistake that led to the penalty scored by Nico Gonzalez against Fiorentina last Saturday.
Most likely to score a goal: Harry Kane – I expect Kane to score at least one goal against AC Milan. This is going to be a big chance for him and Spurs will rely a lot on their club’s top scorer against the Italian side. Antonio Conte’s side are coming from a heavy defeat away against Wolves and need to react in the Champions League’s second leg this Wednesday.
Man of the Match pick: Rafael Leao – There are a lot of rumors about his potential Premier League move in the future and this is a great opportunity for him to shine on such a big stage. The Rossoneri need Leao to be at the center of their project in the coming years, and are already talking to extend his deal, with the current one expiring in the summer 2024.
Match prediction: Tottenham 2, AC Milan 2. I expect this one to be a more exciting game compared to the first leg when AC Milan won thanks to an early goal scored by Brahim Diaz. Antonio Conte’s side need to score if they want to have chances to go to the next round but will also likely expose themselves defensively. I expect the Italian side to go through.
-Francesco Porzio