Jamie Carragher names Liverpool's preferred Champions League opponent with '99 percent' verdict

Liverpool will find out who it will face in the last-16 of the Champions League this week, with Jamie Carragher having picked his preferred opponent for Arne Slot's side

Jamie Carragher has named his preferred opponent for Liverpool in the Champions League last-16(Image: CBS Sports Golazo)

Jamie Carragher would prefer Liverpool to meet Galatasaray in the Champions League last-16, having boldly announced he’s “99 percent certain” the Reds would win.

Arne Slot’s side will find out its opponent for its first knockout game in Europe this season when the draw for the last-16 takes place on Friday. Liverpool’s potential route to the final in Budapest in May will also be mapped out during the draw.

The Reds already know they will face one of two teams, Galatasaray or Atletico Madrid, after they secured their place in the last-16 with victories over Juventus and Club Brugge in the play-offs this week.

Liverpool has already faced both teams during the league phase in this season’s competition, having opened its European campaign with a dramatic win over Atletico at Anfield, before going on to lose 1-0 in Istanbul.

Despite those results, former Reds defender Carragher fancies coming up against Galatasaray more than Diego Simeone’s side.

“I’d rather Galatasaray than Atletico Madrid,” Carragher said on CBS Sports. “I’m 99 percent certain that we’d beat Galatasaray.”

A surprised Micah Richards replied: “You going that strong?”

Carragher doubled down: “Yeah, I think we’d beat Galatasaray.”

Liverpool lost to Galatasaray during the league phase of the Champions League(Image: (Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images))

Asked by host Kate Scott what percentage he’d give Liverpool against Atletico, a less confident Carragher responded: “I’d say 60-40 to us.”

And despite Richards pointing out that the Reds have already lost to Galatasaray this season, Carragher remained undeterred: “Yeah, but we’ll beat them, we’ll get through.”

Although Richards and fellow pundit Thierry Henry were a little taken aback by Carragher’s confidence, it seems even Galatasaray’s own players agree with him, with Victor Osimhen having admitted he doesn’t want to face Liverpool.

"I mean to be honest with you, meeting Liverpool now is going to be like some sort of revenge," he toldCBS Sports.

"Anyone we meet now... I wouldn’t say much but I would like to escape Liverpool.

"But if they come, yeah, we’re going to dig it out but it’s not going to be easy. I mean, this is the Champions League. No team is easy; we can see how flying Bodo/Glimt are really doing in this tournament.

"If you want to win, you also have to play the big dogs and make a statement for yourself.

"We’ve met Liverpool, but we haven’t played at Anfield. If we meet them, it’s going to be an amazing game. I think we’re up to the task, it’s not going to be easy, of course, but we have fight in us."