“It Couldn’t Have Happened Any Other Way, Guardiola: City”
A moment from last season’s encounter between City and Real Madrid, Photo: Reuters
Carlo Ancelotti expressed a clear desire regarding the Champions League playoffs after Real Madrid’s triumph over Brest in the previous round.
“I hope to avoid playing against Manchester City,” remarked the Italian coach.
With only City and Celtic in contention to be the opponents of the reigning European champions, Ancelotti’s wish was not granted, leading to yet another showdown between Real Madrid and the “citizens” in the prestigious tournament.
The club with 15 European titles, recognized as one of the dominant teams in the last two decades on the continent, now finds itself in a recurring rivalry during the knockout stages.
This marks the fourth consecutive season that Real and City have clashed directly in the elimination rounds, and the fifth matchup in the last six years—a streak unmatched in recent history…
To date, each of these fierce competitors has recorded two victories against the other in their encounters.
In their path to the 2021 final, where they succumbed to Chelsea, City triumphed over Real in the round of 16 by winning both legs 1-0.
City also celebrated in 2023, achieving their maiden title in this competition by overcoming Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
After a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the BernabĂ©u, City dominated in the return leg, handing the Spanish giants one of their most significant defeats in Champions League history, winning 4-0…
City later claimed victory over Inter in the final held in Istanbul, courtesy of a goal from Rodri. Now, with the absence of the Spaniard—the Ballon d’Or winner out for the season due to a knee injury—Guardiola’s team struggles to find its form.
“We’ve added two incredibly challenging matches to an already tough schedule. This becomes even more daunting with our match against Newcastle sandwiched between the games against Real Madrid,” Guardiola commented.
City and Real—this is a rivalry that has developed into something substantial.
“It has evolved into a genuine European derby. We anticipated it wouldn’t be easy, as facing either Real or Bayern is a formidable challenge at this stage. I hope we can perform well in both fixtures,” Guardiola added.
Bayern Munich became the fortunate team, as once the draw paired Real and City together, it was clear the Bavarians would go up against Celtic in their quest for the round of 16.
The first leg of the playoffs is set for February 11th and 12th, while the second legs will take place on the 18th and 19th.
The potential opponents for Real, City, Bayern, and Celtic in the round of 16 include Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen.
Meanwhile, Juventus and Milan have avoided facing each other, with the “Old Lady” taking on PSV (whom they previously defeated 3-1 in the group stage in Turin), while the “Rossoneri” will compete against Feyenoord, from whom they are currently trying to acquire striker Santiago Jimenez.
Looking ahead, it is equally critical as two Italian powerhouses in the quarterfinals may have to contend with a third—potential opponents in the next knockout round include Inter and Arsenal.
Brest and Paris Saint-Germain will clash in a French derby in the playoffs, while Borussia Dortmund is set to visit Lisbon for a match against Sporting. Atalanta will also embark on a two-legged battle against Club Brugge.
Playoff Matchups:
Brest – PSG
Club Brugge – Atalanta
Manchester City – Real Madrid
Juventus – PSV
Monaco – Benfica
Sporting Lisbon – Borussia Dortmund
Celtic – Bayern Munich
Feyenoord – Milan
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