Manchester City will face a formidable challenge as they take on 15-time European Cup champions Real Madrid in the upcoming Champions League Play-Offs. Meanwhile, Celtic is set to clash with Bayern Munich in what promises to be a thrilling encounter.
City, who claimed the Champions League title in 2023, will first welcome Real Madrid to the Etihad Stadium on 11 or 12 February. The second leg will see them travel to Spain the following week. On the other hand, Celtic, the first British club to lift the trophy in 1967, will battle Bayern Munich at Celtic Park. The return leg will take place at the Allianz Arena, where Brendan Rodgers’ side will seek to secure their spot in the next round.
The winners of the Manchester City vs. Real Madrid tie and Celtic’s showdown with Bayern Munich will advance to the last 16. They will then face either Bayer Leverkusen from Germany or Spain’s Atletico Madrid. The draw for the last 16 is scheduled for 21 February, following the conclusion of the play-off fixtures. However, some aspects of the last-16 draw are predetermined.
Full Champions League Play-Offs Draw Revealed
Brest vs. Paris Saint-Germain
Club Brugge vs. Atalanta
Manchester City vs. Real Madrid
Juventus vs. PSV Eindhoven
Monaco vs. Benfica
Sporting vs. Borussia Dortmund
Celtic vs. Bayern Munich
Feyenoord vs. AC Milan
Understanding the Champions League Play-Offs Draw
The top eight teams from the 36-team Champions League group stage automatically progressed to the last 16. Meanwhile, the bottom eight teams were eliminated from the competition. The remaining 16 teams, finishing between ninth and 24th place, entered the Champions League Play-Offs.
Among these 16 teams, those finishing between ninth and 16th were seeded into four pairs for the play-off draw. Teams finishing between 17th and 24th formed four unseeded pairs. Unseeded teams were drawn against seeded ones, with seeded clubs hosting the second leg due to their higher ranking in the initial phase.
City secured 22nd place in the league table, while Celtic finished 21st. This positioning led to their respective matchups against Real Madrid, who finished 11th, and Bayern Munich, who placed 12th in the group stage.
What the Champions League Play-Offs Mean for Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa
Liverpool, Arsenal, and Aston Villa advanced directly to the last 16, having finished in the top eight of the league phase. The draw to finalize the last-16 ties will occur on 21 February, once the eight play-off winners are confirmed.
As the top team in the league phase, Liverpool is paired with second-place Barcelona. They will face the winner of the Brest vs. Paris Saint-Germain match or the victor of Monaco’s encounter with Benfica.
Arsenal, finishing third, is paired with fourth-placed Inter Milan. The Gunners or Inter will meet either Juventus or PSV Eindhoven, or Feyenoord or AC Milan in the last 16.
Aston Villa, who finished eighth, is paired with seventh-placed Lille. They will challenge the winners of either Club Brugge vs. Atalanta or Sporting vs. Borussia Dortmund.
Europa League Highlights and Play-Offs Overview
The Europa League follows a similar structure to the Champions League Play-Offs. AZ Alkmaar will take on Galatasaray, while Midtjylland faces Real Sociedad in the play-offs. The winners of these matches will go up against either Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur in the last 16.
Meanwhile, Twente will compete against Bodo/Glimt, and José Mourinho’s Fenerbahce side will clash with Anderlecht. The victors from these ties will face Rangers in the subsequent round.
United and Spurs finished third and fourth in the 36-team Europa League group stage, respectively. Rangers, finishing eighth, secured an automatic spot in the last 16. Noteworthy ties include Porto vs. Roma and Hungarian side Ferencvaros, managed by ex-Tottenham striker Robbie Keane, against Viktoria Plzen.
Like the Champions League, the Europa League last-16 draw is set for 21 February. By then, the eight play-off winners will be determined, and teams will have a clear path to the final. The two-legged play-off ties are scheduled for 13 and 20 February, with last-16 matches on 6 and 13 March.
Europa League Play-Off Draw in Full
Ferencvaros vs. Viktoria Plzen
Porto vs. Roma
AZ Alkmaar vs. Galatasaray
Midtjylland vs. Real Sociedad
Union Saint-Gilloise vs. Ajax
PAOK vs. FCSB
Twente vs. Bodo/Glimt
Fenerbahce vs. Anderlecht
