Another consequential week of UEFA Champions League action will wrap up Wednesday as the round of 16 comes to a close and four more teams will book a spot in the quarterfinals.
Arsenal look to follow Bayern Munich’s Tuesday example and convert a major first-leg advantage into advancement into the last eight, but things are still up in the air for a handful of teams. That includes the likes of Real Madrid, who will look to avoid Liverpool’s fate of having a one-goal first-leg lead overturned.
Ahead of a Wednesday that teases entertainment and hopefully a little bit of drama, here are picks and predictions from the CBS Sports team.
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.
Here are our expert picks for this matchday:
Wednesday’s Champions League slate
Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid
Player to watch: Julian Alvarez – Sunday’s defeat to Getafe crystalized the burgeoning importance of their young Argentine to Atletico Madrid. Alvarez couldn’t get going, nor could his team. The forward can do it all, beating his man, poaching and creating for others. — James Benge
Man of the match: Kylian Mbappe – After the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, Carlo Ancelotti’s side will have to defend at their best against Diego Simeone’ team, but then the counterattacks might be the key factor for this tie and a player like Mbappe can express at his best. — Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Atletico Madrid 1, Real Madrid 1 – Things may have swung in Real Madrid’s favor last week, but these two teams have been evenly matched all season long. Expect another competitive game that ends in a draw, with Atletico’s talented attack falling just short of leveling this tie and reaching the last eight. — Pardeep Cattry
Best bet: Ousmane Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals (-118) — There hasn’t been much to separate these teams and both want to play their soccer on the front foot, so that could set the stage for goals. There’s no telling how this match will go, but there are too many talented attackers on each side to see this going under especially given the fine finishes that were on display in the first leg. If Atleti get the first goal at home, that’s when this could ramp up. — Chuck Booth
Round of 16 TV schedule
All times U.S./Eastern
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