UEFA Champions League round of 16 picks, predictions, schedule: Arsenal, Barcelona the favorites in first legs

Champions League play rolls on this week with the round of 16 first legs being played for eight more clubs. Arsenal, Barcelona and Inter are in action this week and enter their ties as the favorites, but as we've seen so far, anything can happen. Bayern Munich's shock loss at Lazio has put every team on alert with these first legs going a long way in determining who advances to the last eight. 

Don't miss all of the Champions League storylines, and as always you can catch all of our coverage across Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network all season long.

Golazo Starting XI Newsletter

Get your Soccer Fix from Around the Globe

Your ultimate guide to the Beautiful Game as our experts take you beyond the pitch and around the globe with news that matters.

I agree to receive the "Golazo Starting XI Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies.

By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge Paramount's Privacy Policy.

See All Newsletters

Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.

Thanks for signing up!

Keep an eye on your inbox.

Sorry!

There was an error processing your subscription.

Here's how to watch all the games, what to know, our expert picks and more:

Champions League TV schedule

All times Eastern

Tuesday's Champions League picks

	James Benge	Jonathan Johnson	Francesco Porzio	Chuck Booth	Pardeep Cattry
Inter vs. Atletico Madrid	3-1	0-1	1-0	2-1	2-2
PSV vs. Dortmund	2-1	1-1	2-1	1-1	1-1

Inter vs. Atletico Madrid

By Francesco Porzio

One matchup to watch: Antoine Griezmann vs. Stefan de Vrij. The Frenchman is definitely the most dangerous player for the guests and he will have to face Dutch defender Stefan de Vrij, who is currently replacing Francesco Acerbi, who is out injured for at least another week. De Vrij had a great performance against Salernitana on Friday but Griezmann is another kind of opponent. It's likely that Inter will control the ball possession more but Griezmann's pace might be a big issue for Inter's defenders.

Most likely to score a goal: Lautaro Martinez. The Argentinian striker is having one of the best seasons, if not the best one so far in his career as he already scored 23 goals in all competitions, becoming also the eighth top scorer of all time in Inter's history. The Nerazzurri's captain will lead the attack alongside Marcus Thuram and he's expected to score as he already scored five in the last six Serie A matches.

Man of the Match pick: Hakan Calhanoglu. The Turkish midfielder is in a great form and became a much better player in the past 12 months since he became Inter's playmaker. Calhanoglu is the one who decides the rhythm of Inter when they need to attack or push, but also when they need to keep more of the ball and work on the ball possession with the defenders. If he plays like he did in the past weeks, Inter are the favourites to win.

Match prediction: Inter 1, Atletico 0.  While Atletico will likely have to deal with the absence of Alvaro Morata, who is currently injured, Inter have more chances to win and if they make it happen they can travel to Spain in March with two possible results to qualify for the quarterfinals. Tuesday's clash will be crucial mainly for this reason.

PSV vs. Dortmund

By Pardeep Cattry

One matchup to watch: Luuk de Jong vs. Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Sule.  The former is PSV's leading goalscorer this season with 18 league goals and another two in Champions League play, and will no doubt be the focal point of their attack as they eye their first quarterfinal berth since the 2006-07 season. As for Schlotterbeck and Sule, the center backs will be tasked with not just keeping de Jong at bay but hanging onto their strong recent defensive record that has seen Dortmund collect three clean sheets in their last five.

Most likely to score a goal: Niclas Fullkrug. With six goals in Dortmund's last five games, Fullkrug will be the one tasked with ensuring his side take an advantage back home with them for the second leg.

Man of the match: Luuk de Jong. PSV will be eager to stay competitive in this tie and de Jong might just be the key to success this week, and his strong recent form might be enough to keep them in the conversation for the last eight.

Match Prediction: PSV 1, Dortmund 1. The visitors might be the slight favorites but there's no reason to doubt the Eredivisie leaders, which teases a tightly-contested matchup. Paired with the fact that both teams have a striker in strong form, there might be some goals in this one, too.

Wednesday's Champions League picks

	James Benge	Jonathan Johnson	Francesco Porzio	Chuck Booth	Pardeep Cattry
Porto vs. Arsenal	0-1	1-2	1-2	1-3	0-2
Napoli vs. Barcelona	0-0	1-1	1-2	0-0	1-2

Porto vs. Arsenal

By Pardeep Cattry

One matchup to watch: Joao Mario vs. Bukayo Saka. Saka has been one of the main men as the Gunners go on a tear back home with six goals in their last five games, so expect him to be the center of attention in Portugal. It will be Joao Mario's task to keep him at bay -- and perhaps keep Porto's hopes of the quarterfinals alive in the process.

Most likely to score: Bukayo Saka. There may be a few penalties in his count, but Saka has been indispensable as Arsenal pick up statement-making win after statement-making win. There's no doubt he's in strong form, making him an easy pick in this category.

Man of the match: Bukayo Saka. Arsenal's offense has been the key to their success in recent weeks and in theory, this honor could go to anyone in a group that includes not just Saka, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli depending on who shows up on the night. Saka remains the easiest bet for an honor like this at the moment, so it would be silly not to choose him.

Match prediction: Porto 0, Arsenal 2. This scoreline is not meant to undersell Porto's potential, since they scored 15 goals in the group stage and clearly boast offensive talent. It's more of a reflection on Arsenal's current form, which has seen just about everything go right for them and this matchup might not be different, considering Porto's somewhat porous backline.

Napoli vs. Barcelona 

By Francesco Porzio

One matchup to watch: Victor Osimhen vs. Ronald Araujo. The Nigerian striker just came back from the 2024 AFCON where he lost to Ivory Coast in the final, but coach Walter Mazzarri announced he's not at the best of his form. However, Napoli desperately need him to be back against Barcelona, as the Azzurri only scored five goals in the last seven when he wasn't available to play. Araujo will have the task of marking him and this will likely be one of the crucial matchups of the game.

Most likely to score a goal: Robert Lewandowski. Talking about strikers, former Bayern Munich man Robert Lewandowski will likely score even if he's not having his best season so far, but mainly because Napoli's defense struggles with strikers of his qualities. Lewandowski scored four goals in the last three games after failing to score in the six games before.

Man of the Match pick: Yamine Lamal. The best player of the season so far for Barcelona. Even if the Blaugrana are relying probably too much on his performances, he's the one who can drive his teammates to the win against Napoli on Wednesday. At the Maradona, we expect another important performance from him.

Match prediction: Barcelona 2, Napoli 1. Napoli are going through a challenging moment and the position of coach Mazzarri doesn't look good at all. There are already rumors of a possible sacking in case Napoli lose against Barcelona. A likely scenario, as things stand.