UEFA Champions League 2023-24 selections: on the first matchday, experts predict that Man United will lose, PSG will win and more

The 2023-24 UEFA Champions League begins on Tuesday and, by the end of Wednesday, all 32 teams will have made it through their first matches of the tournament. This year we have a mix of traditional powers like Real Madrid and Barcelona. Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich compete for the title that city ​​of manchester They are defending. Besides, manchester united To return to the competition, Serie A powerhouses such as AC Milan, Inter and Napoli aim to build on their solid performances, while Arsenal and Newcastle join the party from the Premier League.

Tuesday’s schedule stands out with Paris Saint-Germain hosting Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle traveling to AC Milan, while on Wednesday Bayern Munich take on Manchester United.

As always, you can catch all the action on CBS Sports, CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports Network Golazo and Supreme+.
Here are our predictions for each match and more:

UCL Groups 2023-24

• Group A: Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Copenhagen and Galatasaray.
• B Group: Sevilla, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven and Lens.
• Group C: Naples, Real Madrid, SC Braga and Unión Berlin.
• Group D: BenficaInter, Red Bull Salzburg and Royal Society.
• Group E: Feyenoord, Atlético de Madrid, Lazio and Celtic.
• Group F: Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, Milan and Newcastle UnitedEdit.
• Group G: Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade and Youths.
• Group H: Barcelona, Port, Shakhtar Donetsk and Antwerp.

Television schedule for day 1

All Eastern Time

Morning Footy UCL Matchday 1 Picks

CBSSports.com Writers Picks for Matchday 1

PSG vs. Dortmund

By Jonathan Johnson

A showdown to watch: Ousmane Dembélé vs. Ramy Bensebaini: This promises to be a delightful watch, as Dembélé, arriving in the summer, will likely face Bensebaini on PSG’s right and Dortmund’s left. Both changed clubs this summer and are still finding their feet. Dembélé is part of a new Parisian attack that could include Randal Kolo Muani or Goncalo Ramos in the middle and Kylian Mbappé wide to the left. Although Dortmund have not had the best start in the Bundesliga, PSG will have to work hard to defeat them.

Most likely to score a goal: Kylian Mbappé: It’s hard to see beyond the French superstar getting a goal or two here. Although PSG have realigned their attack, Mbappé is still scoring many of his goals for the moment and that is likely to continue in the Champions League as part of a series of test matches for Luis Enrique’s team. PSG could use a quick start to prevent this group from getting tough for them, so expect to see them attack from the start.

Choice of Player of the Match: Manuel Ugarte: The Uruguayan international is earning rave reviews for his midfield performances so far in Paris, so he is expected to play a central role here again. Ugarte was a big summer signing from Sporting and has now replaced Marco Verratti as PSG’s central axis in the middle of the park. The South American will be crucial for the hosts to assert dominance as soon as possible in this match and in the group as a whole.

Match prediction: 2-0 — PSG cannot afford to get off to a slow start as Milan and Newcastle will be tough opponents, especially if they are under early pressure. A home clash against Dortmund, who are arguably the most vulnerable team in terms of form along with Newcastle, is an ideal opener that the French champions cannot afford to waste.

AC Milan vs Newcastle

By Francesco Porzio

A confrontation to follow: Sandro Tonali vs. Ruben Loftus-Cheek: All eyes will be on Sandro Tonali, who, despite a minor injury, is expected to be on the field against his former club. The Italian midfielder, if available, will lead the English team’s midfield and will play against his old teammates, but also against some new faces such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who will lead the Rossoneri midfield line in the opening match in San Siro.

Most likely to score a goal: Olivier Giroud: The Frenchman continues to be the most dangerous forward in the Italian team’s squad, even after the arrival of new forwards such as Noah Okafor and Luka Jovic. His experience and record of goals scored during his career are just what AC Milan need to win these types of games and they don’t usually fail on these occasions.

Choice of Man of the Match: Rafael Leao: The Portuguese winger is looking to take another step in his career this season, after extending his contract with the Rossoneri this summer. He is the face of the team and the most talented player on the team and when that happens expectations begin to grow exponentially year after year. He already showed what he is capable of in the last Champions League campaign, when his incredible performances took AC Milan to the semi-finals.

Match prediction: AC Milan 2, Newcastle 1: The Rossoneri are expected to win the opening match of the UEFA Champions League group stage, but it will definitely not be an easy game for Stefano Pioli’s team, who will face the most challenging group stage of the competition with PSG and Borussia Dortmund .

Bayern Munich vs Manchester United

By Chuck Booth

A showdown to watch: Harry Kane vs. André Onana: Harry Kane arrived at Bayern with a goal, to win trophies and fill the only gap in his illustrious career. But to achieve this, he will need to ensure the German giants can advance in the competition. Given that the first match will be against a Premier League team that Kane knows well, he will know what motivates United, and that means possibly ending up in a 1v1 battle with his new goalkeeper Onana. Given Onana’s style of play, it will be quite a spectacle, but eventually it will be Kane who wins the battle.

Most likely to score a goal: Harry Kane: In his brief time at Bayern, Kane has already scored four goals and assisted another, having only one league game in which he did not score a goal. With plenty of creativity around him, the only thing Kane has to focus on now is taking advantage of the opportunities created for him, a much simpler task than his previous UCL careers with Tottenham.

Man of the Match Choice: Alphonso Davies: The flanks are United’s weakness, which is a problem when Davies is one of the best full-backs in the world. Already with three assists this season, Davies has once again made things happen because he is fully healthy, which is not what United will want to see in the game. Setting up two goals will be enough for Davies to take home man of the match honors.

Match prediction: Bayern 2, United 1: The lack of depth on the wings will prove too much for Manchester United to recover from in the match. Being dominated by Davies and Leroy Sane will give Kane an easy time in the middle as Bayen start their Champions League campaign on the right foot.

Arsenal against PSV

By James benge

A confrontation to follow: Sergiño Dest vs. Arsenal winger: In theory, the US international could line up on either flank, as Peter Bosz has used him as both a left and right back this season. Whichever Arsenal striker he ends up against, Dest will face a test of defensive credentials which, it would be fair to say, are not the most impressive. Gabriel Martinelli in particular has started the season in electric form, a constant threat to opposing full-backs, but is now a doubt for the game after limping off against Everton Sunday with an apparent hamstring injury. So while this could be where the Gunners win the game, Dest can also take comfort in the fact that it could have been worse.

Most likely to score a goal: Bukayo Saka: With Gabriel Jesus still recovering from injury, the striker position is a question mark for this Gunners team ahead of a busy week that includes both their return to the Champions League and the small matter of a North London Derby at the end. of week. If the striker’s position is insecure there is no doubt that, if he is fit, Saka will start. Even in a relatively bad start to the season, he has scored goals and assists, he is expected to shine on the big nights.

Man of the Match Choice: Declan Rice: Expectations were high for the £105 million man upon his arrival in north London, yet Rice could be exceeding the standards set for him. The 24-year-old has functioned as a one-man midfielder at his best for Arsenal, plugging spaces when opponents look to counter-attack but not being afraid to move forward to assist the attack. His power and precision should make the difference in this competition.

Match prediction: Arsenal 2, PSV 0: Mikel Arteta’s team might have lost by this score in Eindhoven last season, but it was an Arsenal B team against a PSV side that had not yet lost Cody Gakpo, Xavi Simons and Ibrahima Sangare. The Eredivisie runners-up showed they can’t be taken for granted by crushing Rangers on their way to the group stage, but the Gunners have started the new campaign impressively and should have enough to get the job done.