Football betting: Champions League latest

Barcelona and Manchester United head the outright Champions League betting after they landed benign quarter-final draws when the balls came out of the bowls at Uefa headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

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Barça, who are 11/4 favourites with Blue Square, will fancy their chances of getting past Schalke in the last eight, while United are 10/3 shots after drawing Roma, whom they trounced 8-3 on aggregate at the same stage last year.

Arsenal and Liverpool go head-to-head in an all-English tie, with either leg sandwiching their Premier League encounter at the Emirates Stadium. Both sides were hoping to avoid same-league opposition and, having drawn 1-1 at Anfield this season, it is a tough one to call.

Whoever does come through that gruelling encounter will almost certainly face Chelsea in the semi-final after the Blues were pitted against 40/1 outsiders Fenerbahce. Chelsea, shoo-ins for the last four, are justifiably 7/2 third-favourites and, given both the size of their squad, and Arsenal's tough league programme (which reads: Chelsea (a) Bolton (a), Liverpool (h), Liverpool (h) Liverpool (a), Manchester United (a)), merit serious consideration.

This column has already recommended Schalke as an outside chance, and Barcelona's erratic league form suggests they are by no means infallible. Roma's group stage results against United (1-0 and 1-1) suggest that the Serie A side, who knocked Real Madrid out in the last round, are getting closer to Sir Alex Ferguson's side. But all things considered Chelsea and Schalke represent the best value.

Verdict: 2pts Chelsea @ 7/2 (Blue Square); Schalke (already recommended)

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