Champions League: Liverpool favourites as Man City and Celtic face tough play-offs

• Draw for the play-offs is on Friday as Celtic and Man City await opponents

• They will play Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in two-legged tie

• Liverpool topped group league and are tournament favourites at 9/25.50

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Man City and Celtic face daunting opponents in UCL play-offs

Manchester City and Celtic will find out on Friday which European giant they will play in the playoffs for the last 16 of the Champions League. 

Pep Guardiola's team came from behind to beat Club Brugge 3-1 on Wednesday while Brendan Rodgers' Scottish Champions squeezed into the play-offs after losing 4-2 to Aston Villa. 

Due to the format of the competition we know that City or Celtic will play Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. The only question is, which British club gets the Germans and which get the Spanish in Friday's draw?

Despite their inconsistency in the group stage, City are 17/29.50 to turn their season around and win the Champions League. 

To do that, however, they will have to beat either defending champions Real Madrid 6/17.00 or Bayern Munich 9/110.00 over a two-legged play-off to reach the last 16.

If it is the former, then Pep Guardiola will renew his rivalry against Carlo Ancelotti, whose Madrid eliminated City from last season's Champions League.

A date with the latter would see former-City captain Vincent Kompany bring his Bayern team to the Etihad Stadium and Harry Kane go up against the Premier League champions' ailing defence.

Liverpool favourites to win seventh Champions League

A weakened Liverpool side lost their final group game 3-2 away to PSV Eindhoven but still topped the group and go into the knockout stages as 9/25.50 favourites to win the Champions League.

The Reds last won the Champions League in 2019 - the sixth time in their history they have won European football's premier club competition - and the betting indicates they have a good chance of winning a seventh, as well as the domestic league title, in Arne Slot's first season as manager. 

If Liverpool win their last 16 tie then they could meet Aston Villa, who also reached the knockout stages last night, in the quarter-finals. 

Arsenal are also among the teams fancied in the outright winner market after they qualified for the last-16. The Gunners are 6/17.00 joint second favourites - with Barcelona and Real Madrid - in the outright winner market on the Betfair Sportsbook.

Champions League - Who's through, in the play-offs and out

In the last 16: Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, Aston Villa.

In knockout phase play-offs: Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, PSV, Paris St-Germain, Benfica, Monaco, Brest, Feyenoord, Juventus, Celtic, Manchester City, Sporting, Club Brugge.

Out of the Champions League: Dinamo Zagreb, Stuttgart, Shakhtar Donetsk, Bologna, Sparta Prague, Leipzig, Girona, Red Star Belgrade, Sturm Graz, Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava, Young Boys.

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