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Daily Record
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Graeme Young & Steven Mair

What Celtic or Rangers need to happen to secure Champions League £40m bounty as Chelsea join four team danger list

The Continent's biggest and best do battle again this week and that means over the coming fortnight there are four juicy ties to take in.

But there's also plenty at stake from a Scottish standpoint as our automatic group stage position in the Champions League is back in play.

By now you might not require reacquainting with the huge prize pot on offer for this season's champions, which now look likely to be Celtic after they overcame Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday.

It leave Ange Postecoglou's men six points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership and looking good to scoop what is almost certain to be an automatic pass to the competition proper and the £40million that goes with it.

Almost certain.

Because that avenue could be shut off if the team that wins the Champions League does NOT qualify automatically from their own domestic league.

(AFP via Getty Images)

10 years ago next month Chelsea managed that feat when Didier Drogba struck the winning penalty against Bayern Munich in their own backyard and in those medieval times it was the fourth-placed side in England that missed out.

Current UEFA regulations now dictate that the knock-on effect passes further down the co-efficient food chain and would knock Celtic or Rangers back into the qualifiers.

So as the quarter-finals get under way, how likely is that nightmare scenario? Let's take a look.

Oh, and one final, important caveat. Should current sanctions on Russian clubs continue into next season it could mean they bear the brunt of such a scenario and not the Scottish champion.

Benfica vs Liverpool

Let's start in Lisbon as Benfica look to lift that infamous curse placed on them by former manager Bela Guttmann.

The legend goes their two-time European Cup winner asked for a modest pay rise and few could argue he hadn't earned it.

Upon walking out on the club he told them they'd go a century without European silver and so it remains after eight successive defeats in European finals.

(REUTERS)

If that curse remains in place for this term it's good news for Scotland – because despite being the only Portuguese Primeira Liga side left in the Champions League they will require the drudgery of the qualifiers next season unless they can overhaul a nine point gap with Sporting in the final six games.

Not likely. But thankfully neither are their chances of taking down Liverpool who are looking frightening at just the right time this season.

Somehow lassoing domestic machine Manchester City into a title race, many also consider them favourites on the European front.

Currently 18 points above fifth, their qualification for next season is a complete formality so it's the Reds of Liverpool rather than Lisbon to get behind.

Scottish champions want: Liverpool win

Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid

Doubt there's much to worry about here as two sets of Champions League nearly men go head-to-head.

All that Abu Dhabi money since 2008 led to last year's final but City and Pep Guardiola couldn't get it over the line and will be hell-bent on finally securing old big ears.

So too Atletico Madrid, who scooped a sensational La Liga crown last term but the losses of 2014 and 2016, both to their city rivals, still burn.

Nothing to worry about from the City camp in terms of their league position as they currently lead the English Premier League.

(AFP via Getty Images)

It's a bit dicier in Spain though – Diego Simeone has enjoyed a strong second half to the La Liga season that should ensure Atleti finish in the top four after a nightmare start left their title defence in a shambles.

Real Betis in fifth are just four points behind and have displayed remarkable longevity.

It can be assumed they'll be happy to pounce on any mistakes from Los Colchoneros and Sevilla, who sit fourth.

You'd back the dogged Cholo to get the job done in the league but from a safety-first Scottish perspective it might be best to see City progress in this one.

Scottish champions want: Manchester City win

Chelsea vs Real Madrid

This one looked like the safest of the bunch a short while ago.

Now Chelsea look dangerously close to being sucked into a Champions League battle with two London rivals.

Arsenal and Tottenham are locked in an exciting fight for fourth place with Spurs and Antonio Conte proving their credentials further by battering Newcastle 5-1, though the Gunners slumped with a 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.

On the same weekend Stamford Bridge witnessed a shock 4-1 defeat against Brentford as it becomes apparent the white noise of sanctions and takeovers is becoming increasingly immutable at Cobham.

They are still five clear but the North London clubs look in a good position to generate a three way fight for just two remaining places if there are more slip-ups.

If that happens it leaves Chelsea as a massive threat from a Scottish perspective considering they are the reigning European champions and it certainly couldn't be considered unthinkable they'd retain their crown.

Just as well they're up against players who win big European games in their sleep.

Karim Benzema loves the Champions League – and could do the Scottish champions a favour (AFP via Getty Images)

Serial winners like Karim Benzema and Luka Modric have been supplemented by a sprinkling of younger talent - Vinicius Jr, Eder Militao - and the winning machine is ready to go again while Real also top La Liga by a distance.

They were rocked in El Clasico a few weeks back but recovered well at Celta Vigo and are ready to rock after that epic comeback against PSG.

Los Blancos rather than Blues are the way forward in this one.

Scottish champions want: Real Madrid win

Villarreal vs Bayern Munich

Germany's sole representative in the Champions League toyed with RB Salzburg in the previous round, allowing a 1-1 draw in Austria before taking them across the border and dishing out a Bavarian beatdown of 7-1.

They are absolutely frightening when in full flow under Julian Nagelsmann and you fear for Villarreal who pulled off a miracle 3-0 win at Juventus to get this far.

They've stumbled since domestically, and currently sit seventh which leaves them in bad shape when it comes to even securing a Europa Conference League spot.

That technically makes them a worry for Scotland's group stage place but given the form of Bayern it doesn't seem like much of a threat at all.

It would take two serious off nights for Bayern to bow out here and even then Villarreal's chances of winning the whole thing would be remarkably slim.

Scottish champions want: Bayern Munich win

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