Opta's super-computer predicts the Champions League winner after last-16 ties were revealed – so are Liverpool's chance impacted by brutal draw?

Liverpool have been tipped as the favourites to win the Champions League despite being handed a nightmare draw, according to Opta’s supercomputer.

The draw for the last-16 stage took place on Friday morning with the eight teams who won their knockout play-off ties joining the top eight sides from the League Phase table. 

Those teams – Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille and Aston Villa – automatically progressed to the last-16 thanks to their performances earlier in the competition.

They were joined by Real Madrid, PSG, Club Brugge, PSV, Feyenoord, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Benfica, while Friday’s draw also decided which half of the competition teams go into, meaning they can plot their routes to the final.

And, in the aftermath of the knockout stage being mapped out, Opta’s data has claimed the Reds will lift their seventh European Cup.

Arne Slot’s side have been given a 17.2 per cent chance of winning the competition, although this has dipped from the 20.2 per cent it was before the draw was made, meaning the super-computer has taken into account their difficult path to glory.

The Reds came top of the League Stage but are set to face a tough last-16 tie against PSG

Friday morning’s draw also means the Reds could play Arsenal or Real Madrid in the semi-final

If the Reds beat PSG, they could take on Aston Villa in the quarter-final, before potentially facing Arsenal or Real Madrid in the final four.

Meanwhile, Barcelona finished second in the League Phase of the competition, but were placed on the other side of the draw to Slot’s side.

Hansi Flick’s men will take on Benfica in the last-16 and they are second favourites to win the Champions League, with a 15.4 per cent chance.

Before the last-16 draw, they had been third favourites. But Arsenal are now behind them with a 13.6 per cent chance having being placed in the same section as Real, Liverpool and Atletico Madrid, while they will face PSV in the last-16 phase.

Arsenal’s 3.2 per cent drop is the largest of any team, suggesting that Mikel Arteta’s side have been most hard done-by in the battle to reach the final in Munich on May 31.

Inter Milan are fourth favourites at a 12.7 per cent chance, while 15-time European champions Real Madrid have an 11.6 per cent likelihood of success.

PSG’s hopes of winning the tournament have been unaffected by the draw, with Luis Enrique’s side retaining an 8.8 per cent chance of glory.

Behind Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen have been the supposed second biggest beneficiaries.

Real Madrid are only fifth favourites despite having won the competition on 15 occasions

Arsenal’s hopes of triumphing dipped 3.2 per cent after the draw, the biggest fall of any team 

Leverkusen’s hopes of winning the tournament have risen 1.2 per cent to a 5.8 per cent chance.

This has even put them ahead of domestic rivals Bayern Munich in the statistical stakes. 

Meanwhile, Aston Villa are said to have only a 1 per cent chance of winning the European Cup for the first time since 1982, a figure which is the fourth lowest of any team.

Unai Emery’s men are one of seven long shots for the title at chances of under 1.5 per cent, while Feyenoord are the least-backed with a 0.6 per cent chance.

The likes of Club Brugge, Borussia Dortmund, PSG, Benfica and Lille are also viewed as rank outsiders by the data. 

The two-legged last-16 ties will be played on March 4-5 and March 11-12.