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Starr News GH Blog of Friday, 31 January 2025

Source: Lyrix Brah

Man City to face Real Madrid in CL play-offs

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Manchester City will face Real Madrid in a blockbuster Champions League play-off with Celtic taking on Bayern Munich in a bid to reach the last 16.

The first legs of the knockout play-off round take place on February 11-12 with the return legs a week later.

The draw for the last 16 is on February 21, two days after the play-off round finishes.

Aston Villa snuck into the top eight by the skin of their teeth after Atalanta failed to beat Barcelona and dropped into the play-offs, meaning Unai Emery’s side will face one of Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting or Club Brugge in the last 16.

Liverpool top the overall table and will now face one of Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Monaco or Brest.

Arsenal could face AC Milan, PSV, Feyenoord or Juventus as their possible last-16 opponents.

Confirmed knockout phase play-offs

Club Brugge vs Atalanta
Sporting CP vs Borussia Dortmund
Manchester City vs Real Madrid
Celtic vs Bayern München
Juventus vs PSV
Feyenoord vs Milan
Brest vs Paris Saint
Monaco vs Benfica

They will face an unseeded team that finished between 17th and 24th in the table – with the seeded team also having the benefit of playing the second leg at home.

Sides will also be paired together in the draw, meaning that the two sides who finished ninth and 10th will be drawn against either the 23rd or 24th placed sides.

Teams who finished 11th and 12th will be drawn against either the 21st or 22nd-placed sides, and so on.

The eight winners from the play-offs will meet the teams who finished in the top eight from the initial league phase in the last-16, where the familiar theme of knockout rounds will run all the way to the final.