Champions League expert picks: Will Barcelona will it all? Why Kylian Mbappe can return to the top, and more

Paris Saint-Germain may still be getting used to their status as UEFA Champions League winners, but as autumn approaches, the search for a new European champion is just around the corner.

The league phase returns on Tuesday, which will hopefully mark the start of another entertaining edition of the Champions League. There is a sense of unpredictability ahead of this season with no clear favorite to win the whole thing, though a formidable group of teams make up the list of favorites -- Barcelona are the oddsmakers' pick before the action begins but Liverpool, PSG and Arsenal are hot on their heels, while 15-time winners Real Madrid and 2023 champions Manchester City are not far off.

Each of those teams has a compelling case, in large part because those teams are stacked with some of the continent's young talents like Lamine Yamal and Hugo Ekitike, but they may not be the only ones who impress on the road to the May 30 final at Budapest's Puskas Arena. Several teams may be in the running to punch above their weight, and the same goes for the game's rising stars, each of whom will hope to cause some exciting chaos along the way.

How exactly it will all shake out is anyone's guess but the CBS Sports team takes a stab at mapping it all out with a new season upon us.

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Why Arsenal will win the Champions League

It's one of sport's oldest cliches, but it has lasted so long for a reason: defense wins championships. Nowhere is that quite as true as the Champions League. You might have convinced yourself that PSG's attack won them the Champions League last season and you would be right to an extent, but it helped no end that their possession play could throttle Liverpool home and away (and that Gianluigi Donnarumma was exceptional in the quarter and semifinals). So who has the best defense in Europe? You already know the answer to that, surely. – James Benge

Kylian Mbappe for player of the season

We're still in the realms of very small sample sizes but this really has been a bright start to the new season for Kylian Mbappe, three goals in his first three La Liga games and an average of over six shots per 90 minutes in that period. It seems that Xabi Alonso has swiftly established which of his ultra-talented forwards is going to be the focal point of his attack, ready yourself for Mbappe to go supernova at some stage this season. – James Benge

Tottenham to surprise many

Despite their Europa League success, not much is expected from Tottenham this season in Champions League play, but with the draw on their side, this is a team who could make the last 16. Thomas Frank's focus on set plays has paid off and will ensure that not only do Tottenham take advantage of chances to score, but also make sure that they don't concede easy goals. With their easier games of the UCL earlier, while Frank is determining his best system, this team has room for growth and can make some noise in the competition. Adding Xavi Simons, the club has a star who can win matches for them and it will push them through this competition. – Chuck Booth

Atletico Madrid will be the biggest disappointment

Atletico Madrid's annual spot in the Champions League is essentially a guarantee at this point, Diego Simeone's team's glory days may be behind them. Four years after winning LaLiga, they have collected a string of third and fourth place finishes and have not advanced past the Champions League quarterfinals since the 2016-17 season, now resigned to being Spain's third-best team and a middling Champions League side. The circumstances are undoubtedly a reflection of the difficulties of competing in Spain and Europe but Atleti's ability to punch above their weight has faded away, even with talents like Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann in tow. The fact that they have one win in four games to start the season in LaLiga is perhaps as clear a signal as any that this version of Atleti has not kept pace with their European counterparts, the team very much living in the shadow of what they once were. -- Pardeep Cattry

Best signing: Viktor Gyokeres, Arsenal

If the goal for Arsenal was to take another step forward and become a serious challenge at European level as well for the Premier League, they may have found the right player at exactly the right moment. The Gunners secured the signing of Viktor Gyokeres this summer from Sporting CP in a deal worth an initial $74 million, with an additional $11.5 million in potential add-ons. For Mikel Arteta's side, it feels like the missing player they've been waiting for a long time. They have have failed to sign a true number nine for years, someone capable of consistently delivering goals and leading the line and Gyokeres fits that profile perfectly. For Arsenal, the timing couldn't be better. – Francesco Porzio

How to watch

The opening round of league phase fixtures will take place across three days – Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – and all of it will be available to watch on Paramount+, with select additional coverage on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network. Pre-match coverage starts at 12 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network each day before select matches air at 12:45 p.m. ET and 3 p.m. ET, with post-match coverage transitioning to Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network. The Golazo Show will be free on CBS Sports Golazo Network for Matchday 1, while coverage concludes on CBS Sports Golazo Network with new editions of The Champions Club, which will be simulcast on YouTube, and Scoreline.