Real Madrid draw Man City in Champions League playoff

Defending champions Real Madrid look the squad they replaced arsenic holders, Man City, pursuing the gully for the playoff signifier of the Champions League successful Switzerland.

Spanish giants Real Madrid person been drawn against English champions Manchester City, pitting the past 2 winners of the Champions League against each different successful a blockbuster two-leg playoff pursuing the gully for the adjacent round.

The defending champions from Spain struggled successful their aboriginal stages of this season’s contention finishing successful 11th aft Wednesday’s 3-1 triumph astatine Brest. City, who bushed Inter Milan successful the last the twelvemonth before, had to come from down to bushed Club Brugge connected the last time of the League Phase to unafraid their transition to the knockouts successful 22nd place.

Teams that finished ninth to 24th are competing successful the playoffs to beforehand to the past 16. The draw, which was made successful Nyon, Switzerland, connected Friday, begins the knockout signifier of the competition. The sides of the gully were already pre-determined for each the teams inactive successful the tourney pursuing Wednesday’s completion of the 36-team table, which was topped by Liverpool with Barcelona successful 2nd spot.

The knockout signifier play-offs are acceptable ✅#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/9KWMSgQWoD

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 31, 2025

The pairings for the past 16, the signifier that follows the playoffs, pits Premier League leaders Liverpool and Barca, who are presently 3rd successful the Spanish apical flight, connected the aforesaid broadside of the gully arsenic the winners of the ties betwixt the all-French contention betwixt Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain, and Monaco vs Benfica.

Bayern Munich were the different squad that Manchester City could person been drawn against, but the German champions present look Celtic successful the adjacent round. They stay successful the aforesaid pairing with City and Real Madrid, though, and Atletico Madrid oregon Bayer Leverkusen await the winners of those ties.

Al Jazeera has breached down the cardinal accusation for the remainder of the contention with the gully successful afloat for the playoffs arsenic good arsenic a look astatine the cardinal dates.

The Champions League Playoff gully successful full:

• Club Brugge (Belgium) vs Atalanta (Italy)
• Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) vs Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
• Manchester City (England) vs Real Madrid (Spain)
• Celtic (Scotland) vs Bayern Munich (Germany)
• Juventus (Italy) vs PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
• Feyenoord (Netherlands) vs AC Milan (Italy)
• Brest (France) vs Paris Saint-Germain (France)
• Monaco (France) vs Benfica (Portugal)

Do the seeded teams person immoderate advantage?

The teams that finished ninth to 16th successful the League Phase of the Champions League volition beryllium distant from location for the archetypal limb of their playoffs, meaning they person location vantage for the instrumentality leg.

Who volition marque it each the mode to Munich? 💬 #UCL pic.twitter.com/YsHv6Cqp9C

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 31, 2025

Who were the seeded teams?

Seeded pairings: Atalanta & Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid & Bayern Munich, AC Milan & PSV, Paris Saint-Germain & Benfica.

Unseeded pairings: Monaco & Brest, Feyenoord & Juventus, Celtic & Manchester City, Sporting & Club Brugge.

How bash the knockout stages work?

The playoffs comprise the teams that finished 9-24th, with 4 seeded pairs and 4 unseeded pairs. This forms the way to the past 16 and past done to the last itself.

What are the dates for the remaining stages?

Knockout circular playoff: February 11-12 and 18-19, 2025
Round of 16: March 4-5 and 11-12, 2025
Quarterfinals: April 8-9 and 15-16, 2025
Semifinals: April 29-30 and May 6-7, 2025
Final: May 31, 2025

On the roadworthy to Munich 🏆#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/jarRxWHuMv

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 31, 2025

What are the cardinal dates for the playoff matches?

We person to hold for the ties to present beryllium breached down by UEFA crossed the disposable slots successful February and March.

Where volition the Champions League last beryllium held?

The 67,000-capacity Munich Football Arena, location of German Bundesliga nine Bayern Munich, volition big the last successful May.

What’s the Champions League prize money?

The fiscal rewards successful the Champions League are greater than before, with the full cookware rising by astir 25 percent to astir 2.5 cardinal euros ($2.6bn).

The winners tin pouch much than 86 cardinal euros ($89m) successful prize money.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies