A new UEFA Champions League season has kicked off, with Matchday 1 already promising an exciting spectacle. Last Tuesday, Arsenal secured a comfortable victory, Real Madrid staged a comeback against Marseille, and two underdog teams sensationally clinched their first-ever wins in the tournament`s history. Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus delivered a goal-fest, playing out a thrilling 4-4 draw, and on Wednesday, Liverpool squandered a two-goal lead against Atletico Madrid.
Matchday 1 fixtures are spread across three days – Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Each game day offers European giants an opportunity to showcase their ambitions on the road to the final, scheduled for May 30th at Budapest`s Puskas Arena. The week`s headline event will be Chelsea`s trip to Bayern Munich, marking the Blues` return to the competition after a two-year absence and setting up an intriguing clash between English forwards Cole Palmer and Harry Kane.
This week`s matches serve as a significant test for many of the continent`s top teams, some of whom are playing under new management or experimenting with tactical approaches. For instance, Xabi Alonso managed his first Champions League match at the helm of Real Madrid, aiming to bring stability to the team, but narrowly avoided issues due to his bold decision not to include Vinicius Jr. in the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Liverpool`s revamped, attack-minded squad will have an opportunity to impress against Atletico Madrid.
The CBS Sports expert team provides their picks and predictions, detailed below.
Thursday`s Matches and Expert Predictions
CBS Sports experts have provided their forecasts for key Thursday matches. Among them, the following stand out:
- Copenhagen vs. Leverkusen: Predictions vary widely, indicating an unpredictable outcome.
- Club Brugge vs. Monaco: A broad range of opinions is also observed among analysts.
- Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Galatasaray: Experts anticipate both wins and draws.
- Sporting vs. Kairat: Most predictions point to a confident victory for Sporting.
- Newcastle vs. Barcelona: The prevailing opinion is a Barcelona win with various scores, though one expert predicts a draw.
- Manchester City vs. Napoli: Predictions for this match also show a variety of possible outcomes.
Game of the Day: Newcastle vs. Barcelona
Player to watch: Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona. The brilliant Lewandowski was in top form at this stage of last season`s competition, scoring nine of the eleven goals he would net in the 2024/25 Champions League. He enters this game well-rested, having played just 22 minutes against Valencia but still finding the net twice. It seems Hansi Flick has decided that the 37-year-old striker needs to be fit and firing for the biggest matches, and this is certainly one of them.
— James Benge
Man of the Match: Raphinha, Barcelona. After scoring a brace in the last home match against Valencia, Raphinha is expected to start and deliver another excellent performance on Thursday against Newcastle. The Brazilian winger, despite coming off the bench, immediately showed why he is considered one of the world`s top attackers once he got involved in the action. Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski also became the first pair of teammates to both come off the bench and score a brace in a single match across Europe`s top five leagues since the start of the 2015-16 season, highlighting the crucial depth of the squad managed by German coach Hansi Flick.
— Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Newcastle United 1, Barcelona 2. Lamine Yamal`s absence will be a notable blow for Barcelona, but the strength of Hansi Flick`s team lies in distributing goal-scoring responsibilities among several players, meaning individuals like Raphinha and Ferran Torres could step up in Yamal`s absence. Expect a tightly contested match against a Newcastle United side that is typically defensively sound but may lack the attacking prowess needed to fully exploit Barcelona`s somewhat leaky backline. Nick Woltemade marked his debut with a goal, but filling Alexander Isak`s shoes will be a significant challenge, and the Champions League will be a major test of Woltemade`s ability to adapt to his new role.
— Pardeep Cattry
Best Bet: Raphinha to score (+160). Benched over the weekend after arriving late, Raphinha responded with a brace from the bench. Without Lamine Yamal in the lineup, more pressure will fall on the Brazilian to find the net, but he has proven quite effective at doing so. This is a deep team that will pose significant challenges for Newcastle United on Thursday.
— Charles Booth
