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The long wait is over. The Champions League returns Tuesday on CBS and aramount+, more than two months after the conclusion of group play. Now the real fun begins. I don’t want to offend any of you Champions League group stage enthusiasts out there, but I’ve always felt that it isn’t until you get to the knockout stages that the actual Champions League starts. Yes, it’s fun to root for Cinderellas like Sheriff Tiraspol early in the tournament and see them beat giants like Real Madrid, but I don’t watch the Champions League for underdog stories.
I watch the Champions League to see the best of the best going head-to-head. Oh, and I watch for the anthem too. The anthem rules, but it’s mostly the part about the best of the best. That part begins Tuesday, and I’ve got a pick for this week’s four matches. All odds are via Caesars Sportsbook.
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Real Madrid
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 15 | Time: 3 p.m. | Watch: CBS/Paramount+
It’s hard to figure out how good PSG are. On the surface, you see a lineup filled with names like Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria and that Leo Messi cat, and you think this has to be the greatest team in the world. Then you look at PSG’s standings in Ligue 1 and see that they’re already 16 points clear of second-place Marseille, and you think you’re right. But then you look closer and remember that everyone in Ligue 1 is broke except for PSG. After that, you look at how PSG performed in the group stage, and while there was the 2-0 win over Manchester City, the rest of the performances were uninspiring. So now you have to figure out if PSG is a team that just beats up on an easy league and struggles against real competition, or were PSG still figuring things out after adding Messi to the mix? I don’t know the answer, but we’re likely to get a clearer view in this match.
Real Madrid cruised through the group stage — the loss to Sheriff Tiraspol aside — but they…
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Source : cbssports
