Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole rank the Champions League contenders ahead of quarter-final draw

Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole have ranked the Champions League contenders ahead of the quarter-final draw on Friday morning and agree on the four favourites to lift the trophy.

Holders Chelsea secured their place in the draw with a 2-1 victory over French side Lille last night.

Thomas Tuchel’s side will be joined in the hat by Premier League rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, German champions Bayern Munich, La Liga champions Atletico Madrid, Spanish sides Real Madrid and Villarreal and Portuguese club Benfica.

Premier League leaders Man City thumped Sporting Lisbon 5-0 in the previous round, while Liverpool knocked out Serie A side Inter Milan.

Real Madrid stunned Paris Saint-Germain to continue their bid to win a record-extending 14th Champions League title and Atletico Madrid progressed at the expense of Manchester United.

Bayern Munich thrashed RB Salzburg 8-2 on aggregate in their last-16 tie, while Villarreal and Benfica defeated Juventus and Ajax respectively.

After European champions Chelsea progressed to the quarter-finals, Cole told BT Sport: ‘I think they’re fourth favourites to win it.

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‘The other English teams, Man City and Liverpool, are favourites for me and it’s a flip of a coin between them on the day. And then I put Bayern just above Chelsea.’

Asked to rank the remaining Champions League contenders, Cole added: ‘Right now I would go Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Villarreal, Benfica.’

Former Manchester United and England defender Ferdinand, meanwhile, said: ‘I’d go Man City,