Arsenal snubbed as McCoist and Hargreaves name their favourites to win Champions League | Football

Ally McCoist and Owen Hargreaves have both overlooked Arsenal when naming their favourites to win this year’s Champions League.

Arsenal enjoyed an outstanding group-stage campaign to breeze through to the last 16 of Europe’s premier competition, winning eight from eight while shipping only four goals.

It saw Mikel Arteta’s men finish top of the league phase with a three point advantage over six-time European champions Bayern Munich.

The Premier League leaders were joined by a strong English contingent in the next round as Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, and Manchester City also secured top-eight finishes, before Newcastle advanced via the play-offs.

As the remaining teams were plucked out at last month’s eagerly anticipated round-of-16 draw, the Gunners discovered they will be doing battle with Bayer Leverkusen for a spot in this year’s quarter-finals.

European heavyweights Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and PSG all find themselves on the other side of the draw, leading fans and pundits alike to talk up Arsenal’s chances of finally breaking their Champions League duck.

A quarter-final clash versus Bodo/Glimt or Sporting awaits Arsenal should they come through their two-legged last-16 contest with Leverkusen, kicking off on Wednesday evening.

But former Rangers and Scotland striker McCoist is backing champions PSG to go all the way once again, despite Luis Enrique’s side facing a potentially treacherous route to this year’s final.

‘I’ve said right from the start of the competition, Paris, and I ain’t changing!’ McCoist said on TNT Sports’ last-16 preview show when asked to pick out his favourite for the trophy.

‘On his decision to overlook Arsenal, McCoist told host Darren Fletcher: ‘Well they could win it if you ask me who I think will win it…

‘Arsenal could win it, of course they could, but you’ve asked me who I think will win it.’

McCoist’s TNT Sports colleague Hargreaves also looked away from the Gunners when naming his most likely bet to go all the way in the competition.

But unlike McCoist, the ex-England, Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder plumped for a team competing in Arsenal’s side of the draw in the shape of Barcelona.

‘Arsenal have got a brilliant chance with that draw, haven’t they?’ Hargreaves began.

‘Do you know what? I’m going to go with Barca. Yeah, I’m going Barca!

‘With the draw, obviously it favours that side. Lamine Yamal, Raphina, Robert Lewandowski, Pedri, Frekie De Jong… the manager has already won it.

‘They play super-aggressive football and when it gets to those games, you’ll probably play a little bit deeper.

‘Barcelona could beat anybody on their day.’

The 2023 winners Manchester City have been paired with 15-time European champions Real Madrid in what promises to be an intriguing battle for a spot in the quarter-finals.

While acknowledging Madrid’s pedigree and history in the competition, Steven Gerrard insisted it was a ‘genuine 50-50 game’ between the two giants.

‘City at this stage of the season, I think they’ve recruited really well in January and this is where the machine starts rolling,’ the ex-Liverpool and England captain explained.

‘I think pre-January, I’d probably edge towards Real Madrid. But now, at this stage, I think they’re going to hit some form and it’s a genuine 50-50 game.’

Hargreaves put his neck on the line and named City as his ‘favourites’ to progress from the heavyweight last-16 tie.

He refused to talk down out Madrid’s chances of progressing, though, highlighting the individual brilliance and firepower that could help Alvaro Albeloa’s side secure a place in the next round.

‘I think City are the favourites in that game and they’ll probably win,’ Hargreaves said.

‘I remember speaking to Ruud van Nistelrooy about this once and he said that Real Madrid are one of the best clubs in the world when you’re winning. When you’re not, it’s different.

‘Everybody starts coming out the corners, everybody has an opinion.

‘They’ve gone through a manager, they’ve got an interim in, they don’t really have a clear identity with how they’re playing… you’ve got all this chopping and changing so I just think that must be really difficult to be in that dressing room.

‘That club is so used to winning and I think even the fans will be watching and thinking, “What is this?”… obviously they’re second in La Liga.

‘I don’t think they’re favourites in that match but because they have Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Kylian Mbappe and Thibaut Courtois, I wouldn’t bet against those guys.’

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