The Champions League play-off round is set to feature a heavyweight clash between Manchester City and Real Madrid, while Celtic will face German giants Bayern Munich in what promises to be an enthralling set of fixtures.
Current Champions League holders Manchester City will host the 15-time European Cup winners Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in early February, with the return leg scheduled for the following week in Spain. This matchup stands out as one of the most anticipated fixtures of the play-off round, bringing together two of football's most formidable forces.
Celtic, who made history as the first British club to win the European trophy in 1967, will begin their tie against Bayern Munich at Celtic Park before traveling to the Allianz Arena for the second leg. Brendan Rodgers' side faces a significant challenge against the Bundesliga powerhouse.
The stakes are particularly high as the winners of these ties will advance to face either Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid in the last 16. The play-off round draw has also produced other intriguing matchups, including Brest versus Paris St-Germain, Club Brugge against Atalanta, and Feyenoord taking on AC Milan.
The path to this stage was determined by the teams' performances in the 36-team Champions League group table. The top eight teams advanced directly to the last 16, while those finishing between 9th and 24th entered the play-offs. Teams ranked 9th to 16th were seeded, while those from 17th to 24th were unseeded. City and Celtic, finishing 22nd and 21st respectively, were drawn against Madrid (11th) and Bayern (12th) from the seeded pot.
Several British clubs have already secured their places in the last 16, with Liverpool, Arsenal, and Aston Villa qualifying directly after finishing in the top eight of the league phase. Liverpool, who topped the league phase, are paired with Barcelona and will face either Brest/PSG or Monaco/Benfica winners. Arsenal, finishing third, are matched with Inter Milan and will meet the winners of either Juventus/PSV or Feyenoord/AC Milan. Aston Villa, who secured eighth place, are paired with Lille and will face the victors of either Club Brugge/Atalanta or Sporting/Borussia Dortmund.
The draw for the last 16 will take place on February 21, following the completion of the play-off ties, with some elements of the draw already predetermined based on the league phase standings.
