Real Madrid To Face Man City in Champions League Knockout Phase Playoffs

• Both Real Madrid and Manchester City failed to advance automatically to the last 16 as one of the top eight sides.
• Real and City have played each other in four knockout ties since 2020 and will be facing off for a fourth consecutive year.

Defending champions rivalry with 2023 winners Manchester City in a blockbuster knockout phase playoff tie after the two teams were pitted against each other in the draw held in Nyon on Friday.

Both Real and City failed to advance automatically to the last 16 as one of the top eight sides after they finished 11th and 22nd, respectively, in the new league-phase format.

Teams that finished ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged playoff to advance to the last 16.

Real and City have played each other in four knockout ties since 2020 and will be facing off for a fourth consecutive year after the Premier League champions avoided drawing Bayern Munich.

“It feels like a derby already, four years in a row facing Real Madrid,” City boss Pep Guardiola told reporters.

“But Bayern or Madrid, both were really tough. Hopefully we can arrive in the first leg here and then at Madrid as best as possible.”

The Spanish league leaders will fancy their chances having eliminated English clubs in the knockout stages 13 times.

Although City thrashed the Spanish club 5-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals in 2023 en route to the treble, Real exacted revenge last year when they beat Guardiola’s side on penalties in the quarter-finals after two draws.

“In a perfect world, we wouldn’t play them, but we weren’t able to get into the top eight and that’s OK,” Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said.

“Playing two more or fewer games doesn’t matter … we have the resources to deal with it.”

The competition does not get any easier for either team as they will face either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16.

With teams from the same country also allowed to face each other, unlike in previous years, the playoffs will have an all-French tie with Paris St Germain facing Brest. The winners will face either Liverpool or Barcelona in the last 16.

“There will be a French team in the last 16, so we have to see the positive side,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said ahead of Saturday’s Ligue 1 game against the same opponents.

“The French league is not valued enough, yet there are four French teams in the Champions League (knockouts).”

Juventus and AC Milan avoided each other in the draw, with the two Serie A sides facing Dutch clubs PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord, respectively.

However, the Italian sides may face Inter Milan if they advance to the next round or they could come up against Arsenal.

Last year’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund take on Portuguese side Sporting while Club Brugge face Atalanta.

Champions League knockout playoffs draw

Sporting v Borussia Dortmund

Manchester City v Real Madrid

Juventus v PSV Eindhoven

Brest v Paris St Germain

*Team mentioned second plays second leg at home

Playoff first leg: February 11/12

Playoff second leg: February 18/19

Last 16 draw: February 21

(Reuters)