Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole have agreed that Chelsea's dream outcome for the quarter-final draw in the Champions League would see Man City being drawn against Liverpool. Meanwhile, the Blues would receive one of Benfica or Villarreal.
Thomas Tuchel's side secured their place in the final eight for the second consecutive season in a row as the manager broke Zinedine Zidane's winning record in style on Wednesday night courtesy of Christian Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta's strikes in France. Their English competitors for the crown Man City and Liverpool swept aside their respective opposition in different fashion. After both dispatched Sporting Lisbon and Inter Milan in the first legs of their ties over two weeks or so ago, the pair couldn't pick up the second leg victories but did enough to progress still.
Elsewhere, the likes of Benfica and Villarreal overcame so-called superior opposition in the form of Ajax and Group H winners Juventus. But who do Chelsea want? And where do they rank amongst the last eight?
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If it was down to Tuchel himself, he has no particular preference for opposition, who will be playing at Stamford Bridge behind closed doors most likely due to the EU's Roman Abramovich sanctions. "I want us to be the team nobody wants to play," Tuchel said after Lille.
"This is the role we see ourselves in this round of eight. It's a big step to do it again, again, and again. We fight for the top four places in the toughest league maybe in the world right now and we fight in the last eight again [in the Champions League].
"So this brings out the best in us and we want to be the team nobody wants to play against. So let's see what happens." Regarding the opposition Chelsea want to be drawn against and who would suit the Blues if rivals were picked out the hat against each other, Ferdinand's and Cole's verdict would see the current world and European champions in a rather strong position ahead of a potential last four spot.
Ferdinand delivered his dream quarter-final on BT Sport: "I'd go Liverpool vs Man City. I think there’s a league game between that and there would be three games in the space of a week. It would suit Chelsea too!"
In collaboration with this, Cole then picked out who the west Londoners need to be drawn against to sweeten this scenario: "Chelsea v Benfica would be the nice one, I think we could dispatch them quite nicely. But, this is the Champions League, this is where it starts," he said.
On Chelsea's odds at defending their crown, Ferdinand said: "I’ve got them as fourth favourites. Even if they play Liverpool or City, on their given day, they could beat them. They’ll be in the mix and the punch up, definitely. I’d go Man City, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Atletico, Real Madrid, Villarreal and Benfica."
Cole then weighed in: "Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich are the teams I think can win the trophy, realistically. I’d probably put Chelsea third or fourth. I think Man City and Liverpool are outstanding at the moment, and cup competitions are about the moment, the form they’re in. All of those teams would want Villarreal, Benfica, Atletico, even Real Madrid I don’t think can win it.
"I’d go Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Atletico, Real Madrid, Villarreal and Benfica." The draw for the next round of the competition takes place on Friday, March 18 in Nyom, Switzerland.
