Champions League expert picks, predictions, best bets: Manchester City aim for turnaround vs. RB Leipzig

By Wednesday night, the UEFA Champions League league phase will be halfway over, leaving four games for each team to aim to cement their spot in the knockout stages. After a wild, goal-filled Matchday 3, Matchday 4 figures to bring even more excitement with numerous smaller clubs looking to punch above their weight against some of Europe's giants. But how will each game play out?

Here are our expert picks for this matchday:  

Every match streams live on Paramount+, your home for every Champions League game all season long, plus replays, highlights, and studio coverage breaking down the race for the top eight. 

Wednesday's Champions League schedule

Game of the day: RB Leipzig vs. Man City

Player to watch: Antonio Nusa, RB Leipzig -- With six assists and four goals in the Bundesliga this season, the 21-year-old Nusa has the look of a player who may be establishing himself as one of Europe's best young attackers. Prove what he can do against Matheus Nunes and the rest of the Manchester City defense, and the Premier League clubs will surely be clamoring. -- James Benge

Man of the match: Erling Haaland, Manchester City -- This is one of those games when the Norwegian striker delivers. He already faced RB Leipzig multiple times when he played at Borussia Dortmund before moving to Manchester City. Haaland, who has scored four goals so far in the two Champions League matches played this season, needs to lead his team to victory after a disappointing defeat against Brighton over the weekend at the Etihad Stadium. -- Francesco Porzio

Prediction: RB Leipzig 0, Manchester City 3 -- RB Leipzig have started the season in a rough patch, which makes a meeting against Manchester City very untimely for them. Enzo Maresca's side are still a work in progress, but that is unlikely to be an issue on Wednesday, when they should be able to overpower their opponents with relative ease.  -- Pardeep Cattry

Best bet: Erling Haaland to score first (+290): After failing to score against Brighton over the weekend, Haaland saw a seven-match scoring streak come to an end in Premier League play, and what better way to move on from that than by continuing his Champions League one. While Haaland didn't play against AEK Athens, he has four goals in only two Champions League appearances and will be a focal point yet again in an away trip to face the German side, and as City looks for a fast start, the Norwegian will be able to provide it.   -- Charles Booth

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