A SUPERCOMPUTER has crunched the numbers ahead of the Champions League knockouts – and it’s good news for the remaining Prem clubs.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa are all in action this week as the knockout stages get underway.
Just 16 teams remain in this year’s new-look competition after a lengthy group stage.
Liverpool finished top of the 32-team standings, but face a difficult last-16 clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
Both Arsenal and Aston Villa also avoided the dreaded playoffs to reach this stage.
And they will have to negotiate PSV Eindhoven and Club Brugge to book a place in the quarter finals.
Opta’s AI model has been tasked with determining how far each team will progress in the tournament.
The knockouts were simulated 10,000 times to produce the most accurate result.
Each match outcome was calculated using both betting data and the Opta Power Rankings.
Liverpool won seven of their eight group matches and looked more than at home in the new format.
The supercomputer gives Arne Slot’s side the highest chance of winning the tournament across any of the 16 teams remaining.
Liverpool’s chances are listed as 19.2 percent, meaning they won Big Ears in almost 2,000 of the 10,000 simulations.
However, their tough draw against PSG could be a potential banana skin tie.
The Reds are rated just 58.3 percent to beat the Ligue 1 champions.
Barcelona, Inter Milan, Arsenal, and Aston Villa are all more likely to reach the quarters, according to the model’s number crunching.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners face a tough route to the final, with either Real Madrid or Atletico waiting in the last-eight should they beat PSV.
The supercomputer believes they have a 20.5 percent chance of making the final in Munich.
But their chances of lifting the cup are currently just 11.6 percent.
Villa are enjoying a superb return to European competition following a 41-year absence.
With Belgian side Brugge in the last-16, the model gives Unai Emery’s men a strong 60 percent chance of making the quarters.
Villa would run into either Liverpool or PSG at that stage – with the AI model not hopeful of their chances.
They are given an 11.6 percent chance of reaching the semi-finals.
While Villa have a 2.7 percent chance of reaching the final – and only a 0.9 percent chance of lifting the cup.
Real Madrid’s tough draw sees them given a 9.8 percent chance of defending their trophy.
The tournament’s big outsiders are Feyenoord, who are only being given an 18 percent chance of battling past Inter into the quarter-finals.
And look out for Inter, who are rated as the Dark Horses of the tournament.
The Serie A leaders are just behind Liverpool and Barcelona as third-favourites for the crown.
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