The Champions League's revamped playoff round has produced a blockbuster tie between Manchester City and Real Madrid, setting up an early clash between two European heavyweights. This matchup, which has been a semi-final fixture three times in the past decade, comes as a result of both teams' underwhelming performances in the competition's opening phase.
UEFA's new tournament structure, which automatically qualifies only the top eight teams from a 36-team opening phase to the last 16, has created this unexpected early encounter. Both City and Madrid have paid the price for their inconsistent European campaigns, with the English champions particularly fortunate to avoid elimination after struggling in their eight games.
Manchester City find themselves in the unusual position of underdogs against Real Madrid. While Pep Guardiola's men remain dangerous, they've shown vulnerability against strong opposition in recent months. Real Madrid's director of institutional relations, Emilio Butragueno's reaction to the draw was telling, revealing the enormity of facing the current European champions at this stage.
Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid, despite their status as defending champions, face this playoff round after losing three of their eight league-phase games. The presence of attacking talents Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe could prove decisive against City's susceptible defense, though Ancelotti has expressed reluctance about facing City again, acknowledging the physical and emotional toll these matches typically take.
German clubs received more favorable draws, with Bayern Munich facing Celtic and Borussia Dortmund meeting Sporting CP. Bayern's tie occurs around a crucial Bundesliga clash with Leverkusen, while Dortmund, under new manager Niko Kovac, will miss key midfielder Felix Nmecha due to injury.
Italian giants AC Milan and Juventus avoided a potentially complicated domestic clash, drawing Feyenoord and PSV respectively. Juventus, under Thiago Motta, seeks to maintain momentum despite recent domestic setbacks, while Milan's new manager Sergio Conceicao faces his first major test.
The playoff round's full draw includes intriguing matchups such as Brest versus Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco against Benfica, and Club Bruges facing Atalanta. The first legs will take place on February 11 and 12, with return fixtures scheduled for the following week.
For teams like Liverpool and Barcelona, who secured automatic qualification to the last 16, the path to the final becomes clearer. They await the winners of various playoff ties, with potentially easier routes to the semi-finals compared to whoever emerges from the City-Madrid clash, who must then face either Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid in the round of 16.
