Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League’s knockout phase playoffs.
Pep Guardiola’s side were paired with the holders and 15-time European Cup winners following today’s draw in Switzerland.
The clubs have met in five knockout ties in the past nine years, with Real Madrid coming out on top three times, including last season’s quarter-finals, when they triumphed in a penalty shootout en route to lifting the trophy.
Man City defeated the Spanish giants in the 2022/23 semi-finals, before going on to win the Champions League for the first time and claim an historic treble.
City have to go through the playoffs to reach this season’s last 16 due to finishing outside the top eight in the league phase. They beat Club Brugge on Wednesday to finish 22nd in the table and stay in the competition.
Guardiola said: “It feels like a derby already. Four years in a row facing Real Madrid. But both was really tough. Hopefully we can arrive in first leg here, and then at Madrid, as best as possible.”
The first leg at the Etihad will be played on either Tuesday 11 February or Wednesday 12 February, with the second leg taking place a week later. It gives Man City a tough run of fixtures in February.
Man City’s February fixtures
2 Feb v Arsenal (A) PL
8 Feb v Leyton Orient (A) FA Cup
11/12 Feb v Real Madrid (H) UCL
15 Feb v Newcastle (H) PL
18/19 Feb v Real Madrid (A) UCL
23 Feb Liverpool (H) PL
26 Feb Spurs (A) PL
Should Man City beat Real Madrid and progress from the knockout phase, their last-16 opponents will be either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen.
Route to the final
What next for Liverpool, Arsenal and Villa?
Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa all qualified in the revamped tournament’s top eight, meaning they avoid a playoff and automatically progress to the round of 16.
Champions League Round of 16 – Match dates
First leg: 4/5 March
Second leg: 11/12 March
Liverpool, who topped the table with seven wins from their eight league-phase matches, know they will face the winners of Paris Saint-Germain v Brest or Benfica v Monaco.
Arsenal finished third and will meet the winners of PSV Eindhoven v Juventus or Feyenoord v AC Milan.
Aston Villa confirmed a top-eight finish by beating Celtic on Wednesday night. They will take on the winners of Atalanta v Club Brugge or Sporting v Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16.
Europa League draw
The draw for the UEFA Europa League knockout phase playoffs has also taken place.
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have automatically progressed to the round of 16 after finishing in the top eight of the league phase, following wins over FCSB and Elfsborg respectively on Thursday.
Man Utd or Spurs will play either the winner of Galatasaray v AZ Alkmaar or FC Midtjylland v Real Sociedad in the round of 16.
Europa League Round of 16 – Match dates
First leg: 6 March
Second leg: 13 March