Malik Waqar
The UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-offs begin this week as 16 teams battle for the remaining spots in the last 16.
Among them is the highly anticipated Manchester City vs Real Madrid fixture. The two sides have met in each of the last 3 Champions League seasons, with the winner of the tie ultimately becoming Champions.
Real Madrid knocked Manchester City out in last year’s quarter-finals.
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Teams already through & Playoff contenders
Eight teams have secured automatic progression to the last 16:
Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, Aston Villa.
The remaining 16 teams must compete in the knockout play-offs:
Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven, Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Monaco, Brest, Feyenoord, Juventus, Celtic, Manchester City, Sporting CP, Club Brugge.
Playoff fixtures & key matchups
The play-offs will be held over two legs, with the first set of matches on 11-12 February and the return legs on 18-19 February:
Brest vs. PSG (11 & 19 Feb)
Juventus vs. PSV Eindhoven (11 & 19 Feb)
Manchester City vs. Real Madrid (11 & 19 Feb)
Sporting CP vs. Borussia Dortmund (11 & 19 Feb)
Club Brugge vs. Atalanta (12 & 18 Feb)
Celtic vs. Bayern Munich (12 & 18 Feb)
Feyenoord vs. AC Milan (12 & 18 Feb)
Monaco vs. Benfica (12 & 18 Feb)
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Potential last-16 opponents
The draw for the next round will take place on 21 February, revealing potential matchups:
Liverpool will face one of Monaco, Brest, PSG, or Benfica.
Barcelona will meet another team from the same group.
Arsenal will play either Feyenoord, Juventus, AC Milan, or PSV.
Aston Villa will take on Sporting CP, Club Brugge, Atalanta, or Borussia Dortmund.
The road to the final will be mapped out on 21 February, when UEFA conducts the quarter-final and semi-final draws.
