| Matchup |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kairat vs. Olympiacos | 1-3 | 1-1 | 1-2 | 0-2 | 1-1 |
| Bayern Munich vs. Sporting Lisbon | 4-0 | 3-1 | 3-0 | 3-0 | 3-0 |
| Monaco vs. Galatasaray | 2-2 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 2-2 | 1-1 |
| Atalanta vs. Chelsea | 1-2 | 2-2 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| PSV vs. Atletico Madrid | 1-0 | 1-2 | 2-2 | 1-2 | 2-2 |
| Union S-G vs. Marseille | 1-1 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 0-2 | 1-2 |
| Tottenham vs. Slavia Prague | 2-0 | 1-0 | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2-0 |
| Barcelona vs. Frankfurt | 4-2 | 3-1 | 3-2 | 5-2 | 3-0 |
| Inter vs. Liverpool | 3-1 | 2-1 | 2-1 | 2-1 | 1-1 |
UEFA Champions League expert predictions, picks for Matchday 6: Can Liverpool turn it around vs. Inter
Massive matchups await as Manchester City head to Real Madrid in addition to Liverpool's massive showdown
The UEFA Champions League is back with Matchday 6 taking place across Tuesday and Wednesday. Each club enters the week with three games to go -- 270 minutes to make or break their league phase by securing a spot into the last 16, earning a playoff spot or watching the knockout stages from home.
The schedule includes some fantastic affairs with Inter hosting reeling Liverpool highlighting Tuesday's slate as the Reds may be just be witnessing the end of Mohamed Salah's tenure at the club. Wednesday's slate features a battle of elite contenders in Real Madrid and Manchester City, but both seemingly have a point to prove to show that they are at the levels of recent years when they've conquered the continent.
Here's how the CBS Sports team thinks this week's action will shake out.
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.
Champions League matches on Tuesday
Game of the day: Inter vs. Liverpool
Player to watch: Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool -- The answer to this might well be Mohamed Salah if only he were in a position to be watched, Liverpool's star forward left behind on Merseyside following his explosive comments after Saturday's 3-3 draw with Leeds United. Salah is not the only title-winning veteran struggling for form lately and Inter's forwards will be hopeful that the stuttering, error-addled version of Van Dijk from recent weeks takes to the field in the San Siro. At his best Liverpool's captain played with a serenity that radiated across his team mates. Now his struggles seem to be doing the same. -- James Benge
Man of the match: Lautaro Martinez, Inter -- The Argentinian striker is in great form and scored three goals in his last two Serie A matches, and scored a total of 11 goals in 18 games in all competitions, including four in the Champions League. Considering the issues Liverpool are facing right now defensively, his skills can definitely become a problem for the team coached by Arne Slot. The Inter captain scored in all five of his Champions League games at the San Siro in 2025 (8 goals). The only player to score in more than six consecutive home appearances in the competition for an Italian club was Andriy Shevchenko for AC Milan (seven from March 2004 to September 2005). -- Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Inter 2, Liverpool 1 -- Salah's shadow looms large over this match, though that may only rattle Liverpool so much considering the Egypt international has been far from his peak this season. The Reds' real problem is that no matter how hard manager Arne Slot tries, he cannot seem to find a balance with the players at his disposal. They are inconsistent in more ways than one, making Tuesday's game much more favorable to Inter than one may have anticipated when the league phase schedule came out several months ago.-- Pardeep Cattry
Best bet: Inter Milan to win (+110) -- Even without the Mohamed Salah drama at Liverpool, this is quite a mismatch of teams. Since losing to Atletico Madrid in UCL, Milan have responded by winning their last three matches by an aggregate score of 11-1. Lautaro Martinez is going to give Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate nightmares in defense, but even if he's stopped, this squad is a unit that will be hard to stop. -- Chuck Booth
Barcelona vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
Player to watch: Lamine Yamal, Barcelona -- At 18 years of age, Yamal is already one of the best wingers in the world. Pressed into central areas amid an injury crisis, Yamal proved he's not too shabby as a number 10 either, delivering gaudy chance creation and possession value numbers in a 5-3 win at Real Betis that cemented Barcelona's lead at the top of La Liga. In a clash that is sure to offer plenty of space to operate, this could be another game for Yamal to unleash his precocious talents. -- James Benge
Man of the match: Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona -- After losing 3-0 in the last Champions League game against Chelsea, the team coached by Hansi Flick got back on track in the league and have won three matches in a row and thanks to the results of their competitors, they are now four points ahead of Real Madrid. This is an important game for Lewandoski, who faced Frankfurt multiple times over his career. He has scored 15 goals in his last 15 starts against Eintracht Frankfurt across all competitions, including two hat-tricks in two 5-0 victories as a Bayern Munich player. -- Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Barcelona 3, Eintracht Frankfurt 2 -- Neither of these teams have any real ability to defend, with Barcelona conceding 10 goals and Eintracht Frankfurt letting in 14 through five Champions League games so far. An entertaining, and perhaps silly, game is likely in store as a result, but in the end, this will be Barcelona's fixture to lose. Their attackers are likely to show their quality against a porous back line, giving them the edge in an important fixture weeks after their loss at Chelsea. -- Pardeep Cattry
Best bet: First half over 1.5 goals (-144): This is almost an auto bet at this point. Barcelona games are box office for plenty of reasons, and the goals allowed are one of them. Both of these teams play an all gas, no brakes brand of soccer that leads to goals left and right. This is likely a ladder scenario especially when Barcelona needs points to make up for their loss to Chelsea. -- Chuck Booth
Champions League matches on Wednesday
| Matchup | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qarabag vs. Ajax | 1-0 | 2-0 | 1-0 | 2-0 | 2-0 |
| Villarreal vs. Copenhagen | 2-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 0-1 | 2-1 |
| Benfica vs. Napoli | 2-2 | 1-2 | 0-2 | 1-2 | 1-1 |
| Bilbao vs. PSG | 0-2 | 2-3 | 0-2 | 0-3 | 0-3 |
| Club Brugge vs. Arsenal | 1-2 | 0-3 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 1-3 |
| Dortmund vs. Bodo/Glimt | 2-0 | 2-1 | 2-1 | 2-0 | 1-2 |
| Leverkusen vs. Newcastle | 0-0 | 1-1 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 1-2 |
| Juventus vs. Pafos | 4-0 | 3-0 | 3-0 | 2-1 | 3-0 |
| Real Madrid vs. Man City | 2-1 | 2-2 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 2-2 |
Game of the day: Real Madrid vs. Man City
Player to watch: Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid -- For all the drama that swirls around the Santiago Bernabeu, where there already seem to be questions over Xabi Alonso's future, one thing has remained constant this season. Kylian Mbappe scores goals. Twenty-five in 21 club games this season, to be precise. It was against Manchester City nearly nine years ago that the then-Monaco forward first showed his prodigious talents and he has rarely let up on them since, netting a brilliant hat trick to knock them out of last season's Champions League. -- James Benge
Man of the match: Jeremy Doku, Manchester City -- Pep Guardiola is back at the Bernabeu again playing against Real Madrid, the fourth most-faced team in his coaching career after Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. The Citizens are in great form and are back in contention for the Premier League as well while Real Madrid are facing a crisis with only one win in the last five LaLiga games (three draws, one win, one defeat). The pace and the technique of Doku can definitely become a big issue for the team managed by Xabi Alonso. -- Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Real Madrid 1, Manchester City 2 -- He may have started the job a few months ago, but it's already time to talk about Xabi Alonso's job security, momentum perhaps swinging in Manchester City's favor ahead of the most anticipated game on Matchday 6. Momentum is not the only reason to pick City -- flawed as they are in Pep Guardiola's latest rebuild, the ideas seem to be clicking more often than not, plus Erling Haaland's always impressive form always makes them a contender. -- Pardeep Cattry
Best bet: Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to have 2+ shots on target (+164): Back your stars? Both of these teams are in a bit of a rut but they'll look to get their star strikers shots to get out of them. Mbappe has continued to score no matter what happens with the club, and City's only option is to feed Haaland, so let's back them.-- Chuck Booth
Leverkusen vs. Newcastle
Player to watch: Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastle -- After Alexander Isak's departure, Eddie Howe needed others to step up and share a scoring load that would have weighed too strongly on Nick Woltemade otherwise. Guimaraes has certainly done that, his five increasingly impressive goals so far this season, culminating in a wicked corner that swerved straight in in Saturday's 2-1 win over Burnley. That Guimaraes has the quality to impose himself on Leverkusen's talented midfield only makes it more important that he excels at the Bay Arena. -- James Benge
Man of the match: Patrick Schick, Bayer Leverkusen -- The German side has had some ups and down in the past weeks, but also won 2-0 in their last Champions League tie against Manchester City, one of the most surprising results of the season so far. Facing Newcastle at home, they have an immense chance to score some big points ahead of the next phase. Patrick Schick is in great form and has already scored two goals in the three Champions League matches he played so far. -- Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen 0, Newcastle United 1 -- It has been an up and down season for both of these teams, who are likely to keep things tight in a closely-contested game. Newcastle United, though, have the quality needed to take all three points home with them, calling upon the likes of Nick Woltemade and Anthony Gordon to get the job done in attack. -- Pardeep Cattry
Best bet: Under 2.5 goals (+110): With Leverkusen finding their feet, this is a hard matchup to pick, but it could turn into a defensive slugfest. Newcastle United have only allowed more than one goal in three of their last 11 games so it's safe to say that Leverkusen will struggle to score, but the Magpies' attack has also struggled to get things going. -- Chuck Booth
