On Friday in the Swiss Nyon, there was a draw for the playoff matches of the Champions League round of 16, where the result matched the encounter of the group stage leader Real Madrid from Madrid with the English Manchester City. Both clubs were forced to progress through the playoffs due to unsuccessful performances in the group stage. Real took 11th place, while City – 22nd out of 36, which led to their direct confrontation for the fourth time in a row.
"We have already met with Manchester City in the Champions League, the last time was in the quarter-finals last year when we won and lifted the trophy," said a representative of Real. Both clubs won the continental trophy in the last two years. Manchester City secured the title by defeating Inter 1-0 in 2023, while last year Real achieved its fifteenth victory by defeating Borussia Dortmund.
In other matches of the Champions League playoffs, the French PSZ will face Brest, while PSZ enters as a favorite for the title. Paris are aiming for their first victory in the tournament and started the current season unsuccessfully; however, they won their last three matches, including a victory over Manchester City 4-2.
Bavaria from Munich, where the Champions League final will take place on May 31, will face Celtic. The matches between Sporting and Borussia Dortmund, Feyenoord and Milan, as well as Monaco and Benfica are expected to be evenly matched in terms of power.
