The marathon sprint that is the Champions League group stage is nearing its end. Matchday 5 arrives on Tuesday with eight games across the continent as Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and Ajax are all facing a bit of pressure to get wins, while a few teams are set to clinch spots in the round of 16.
Which teams will come away with three vital points and which teams will crumble under pressure this week? The CBS Sports’ soccer experts have made their picks below. You can watch all the action on CBS All Access.
If keeping track of every match at the same time is your cup of tea, make sure you tune into “The Golazo Show,” CBS Sports’ live whip-around show on group stage matchdays. “The Golazo Show” will keep avid soccer fans in the loop by featuring every goal each matchday on CBS Sports Network and CBS All Access with coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on matchdays.
If you missed action from the previous day, check out “The Champions Club,” featuring Jules Breach, Julien Laurens and Ade “The Beast” Akinfenwa. It’s the ultimate nightly highlights show for fans of the Champions League on CBS All Access.
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Lokomotiv Moscow vs. Red Bull Salzburg
Time: Tuesday, 12:55 p.m. ET (CBS All Access)
Case for Red Bull Salzburg: Salzburg are desperate for points and have been on the end of some unlucky transitions. They’ll get the result. — Sandra Herrera
Case for Lokomotiv Moscow: Salzburg absolutely have to win to stand any chance of a Europa League berth while Loko have been tough to beat despite their inability to win and can still reach the knockout phase. I see a Russian win because of a leaky Austrian defense. — Jonathan Johnson
So who should you back in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the money line has all the value in every UEFA Champions League match, all from the proprietary European soccer model that’s up nearly $9,000!
Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Real Madrid
Time: Tuesday, 12:55 p.m. ET (CBS All Access)
Latest Odds:
Real Madrid
-1.5
Case for Real Madrid: A game Real Madrid need to win, for more than just one reason. Karim Benzema’s return helps and despite the injuries (Eden Hazard, Sergio Ramos, Federico Valverde, Dani Carvajal, etc.) I think Los Blancos do enough to secure a win against a Shakhtar side that has lost the last two matches in the Champions League. — Luis Miguel Echegaray
Case for draw: When the two teams met in Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk came away with a win, meaning that the visitors are hungry for revenge. However, an away win will be hard with Eden Hazard, Sergio Ramos and Federico Valverde all sidelined with injury. — Thomas Rongen
Atletico Madrid vs. Bayern Munich
Time: Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET (CBS All Access)
Latest Odds:
Bayern Munich
+0.5
Case for Atletico Madrid: Bayern Munich will almost surely rotate the squad as they have already qualified for the knockout stage. With Atletico also resting key players like Joao Felix this past weekend, Diego Simeone knows this is a must-win in order to secure the second spot in the group. — Luis Miguel Echegaray
Case for Bayern Munich: Atleti have been a surprisingly competent attacking side this season, and Bayern have nothing to play for. But Bayern, even with a heavily rotated squad are the best in the world. — Mike L. Goodman
Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Inter Milan
Time: Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET (CBS All Access)
Case for Borussia Monchengladbach: If anyone can explain what it is about Antonio Conte and the Champions League please tell me, I’d love to know. Equally, it’s easy to see why vibrant attacking players such as Marcus Thuram and Alassane Plea (if he’s available) have been such a hit on the European stage. Why shouldn’t that continue against an Inter side who must know they are out? — James Benge
Case for Inter Milan: This group is still wide open. Away from home and needing a win, it’ll be interesting to see how cagey Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan start the match against a Borussia team that’s scored eight goals in their last two matches. I think they’ll be able to soak up pressure and hit Die Fohlen on the break, and I think this one ends 2-1 to the visitors. — Aaron West
Porto vs. Manchester City
Time: Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET (CBS All Access)
Case for Manchester City: Are Pep Guardiola’s Man City finally hitting their stride? They crushed Burnley 5-0 in the Premier League over the weekend, and last week despite only scoring once they dominated Olympiacos. Look for more of the same. — Mike L. Goodman
Case for draw: Porto host Manchester City knowing that a draw seals their place in the next round. I think that’s exactly what we’ll get, but I think it’ll be entertaining. — Aaron West
Marseille vs. Olympiacos
Time: Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET (CBS All Access)
Case for Marseille: Marseille will want to shed their unwanted record of 13 straight defeats as soon as they can, and they can still catch Olympiacos for the Europa League berth — if they want to. — Jonathan Johnson
Case for Olympiacos: The way things are going for them right now I can’t really predict anything other than another defeat for Marseille. It’s painful to watch. — James Benge
Atalanta vs. Midtjylland
Time: Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET (CBS All Access)
Case for Atalanta: Gian Piero Gasperini’s guys are so tired after playing every three days, which they’re not used to, but they’ll win this one thanks to their best player: Papu Gomez. — Fabrizio Romano
Case for draw: Midtylland are another that have been better than their record suggests while Atalanta have been something of an unpredictable machine so far this year. For all their qualities they might just get caught off guard on Tuesday. — James Benge
Liverpool vs. Ajax
Time: Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET (CBS All Access)
Case for Liverpool: Liverpool don’t concede penalties in this one and actually flourish in attack, scoring multiple goals for just the second time in their last five games. — Roger Gonzalez
Case for Ajax: The Amsterdammers aim to build on a routine 3-1 win over Midtjylland, and they will take advantage of the fact that the hosts will be without three important defenders in Tuesday’s clash. — Thomas Rongen
Thanks for checking us out, and good luck with your picks!
