Defending champions Real Madrid and 2023 winners Manchester City will reignite their Champions League rivalry in a highly anticipated knockout playoff tie after being drawn against each other in Friday’s draw held in Nyon.
Both teams failed to secure automatic qualification to the last 16 under the new league-phase format, with Real finishing 11th and City 22nd. Teams placed ninth to 24th will now compete in a two-legged playoff to advance to the next round.
This matchup marks the fifth knockout tie between Real Madrid and Manchester City since 2020, with the two sides set to face off for the fourth consecutive year. Real, currently leading La Liga, will be confident heading into the tie, having eliminated English clubs 13 times in Champions League knockout stages. While City dominated Real with a 5-1 aggregate victory in the 2023 semi-finals on their way to a historic treble, Real avenged that loss last year by defeating Pep Guardiola’s side on penalties in the quarter-finals after two tightly contested draws.
The road to the final won’t get any easier for either team, as the winners of this tie will face either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16. In another notable change to the competition’s format, teams from the same country can now face each other in the playoffs, leading to an all-French clash between Paris St Germain and Brest. The victors of that tie will meet either Liverpool or Barcelona in the next round.
Italian giants Juventus and AC Milan avoided drawing each other, with Juventus set to face PSV Eindhoven and Milan taking on Feyenoord. However, both Italian clubs could potentially meet Inter Milan or Arsenal in the last 16 if they progress. Meanwhile, last year’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund will play Sporting, and Club Brugge will face Atalanta in other playoff matchups.
Champions League Knockout Playoffs Draw:
- Club Brugge v Atalanta
- Sporting v Borussia Dortmund
- Manchester City v Real Madrid
- Celtic v Bayern Munich
- Juventus v PSV Eindhoven
- Feyenoord v AC Milan
- Brest v Paris St Germain
- AS Monaco v Benfica
Note: The team mentioned second will host the second leg.
Key Dates:
- Playoff first leg: February 11/12
- Playoff second leg: February 18/19
- Last 16 draw: February 21
This year’s knockout playoffs promise thrilling encounters, with several high-profile clashes set to determine which teams will advance to the last 16 of Europe’s premier club competition.
