- Manchester City and Real Madrid will face each other in the Champions League knockout stage for the fourth consecutive season, meeting in the play-off round before the Round of 16
- The matches are scheduled for February 11/12 and 18/19, with the reigning champions hosting the second leg
- Bayern Munich avoided a clash with Manchester City and will instead face Celtic, while Juventus and AC Milan were kept apart in the draw, landing matches against PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord, respectively
Key Takeaways:
Manchester City and Real Madrid will meet once again in the Champions League knockout stage after being drawn as opponents in the play-off round before the Round of 16. This marks the fourth straight season that the two teams will face each other in an elimination tie. The matches are set for February 11/12 and 18/19, with the defending champions hosting the return leg.
The knockout phase play-offs are set ✅#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/9KWMSgQWoD
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 31, 2025
It is worthy to note that in each of the past three seasons, the winner of the knockout clash between Real Madrid and Manchester City has gone on to lift the Champions League trophy. Real Madrid prevailed in their 2022 semi-final encounter before securing the title against Liverpool. A year later, City got their revenge, eliminating Madrid in the 2023 semi-finals on their way to their first-ever Champions League triumph. The pattern continued in 2024, when Madrid once again knocked out City and went on to win the tournament. With history suggesting that the victor of this tie could once again claim the ultimate prize, their latest showdown carries even greater significance.
The draw was widely expected to result in this matchup, as both clubs had only two possible opponents. If Real Madrid had not been drawn against Manchester City, Pep Guardiola’s side would have faced Bayern Munich instead. Bayern avoided City and will instead take on Celtic.
No other matchups produced major surprises. An all-Italian showdown between AC Milan and Juventus was a possibility, but the draw kept them apart. Milan was paired with Feyenoord, while Juventus will face PSV Eindhoven. Meanwhile, an all-French clash was confirmed, as Brest was drawn against Paris Saint-Germain.