City and Real Madrid set for high-stakes champions clash

The coach of Manchester City, Josep Guardiola, emphasises that the matches between his team and Real Madrid are taking on a derby-like nature. Both teams will face each other for the fourth consecutive Champions League season, this time in a play-off for advancement to the round of 16. Real Madrid are defending the title, while Manchester City triumphed in these competitions in 2023.

According to the new Champions League rules, teams ranked 1-8 in the league stage advance directly to the round of 16. Among them are Barcelona with Robert Lewandowski and Wojciech Szczęsny. Teams ranked 9-24, including Manchester City, must compete for advancement in the play-offs. Teams ranked 25-36 have already ended their UEFA competition journey.

Manchester City finished 22nd in the league stage, which meant they would face a team ranked 11-12 in the play-offs. Ultimately, the draw paired "The Citizens" with Real Madrid, which many experts consider a premature final. The first match will take place in Manchester.

It looks like a derby already, four years in a row facing Madrid - commented Guardiola.

"But whether we would face Bayern or a club from Madrid - both rivals were really tough. Hopefully, we can first play our best at home and then in Spain," added the coach.

Carlo Ancelotti, the coach of Real Madrid, also commented on the draw results. "In a perfect world, we wouldn't play them, but we weren't able to get into the top eight, and that's OK," admitted Ancelotti.

The play-offs mean two more matches for participants, but the Royals coach is not afraid of this challenge. "Playing two more or fewer games doesn't matter ... we have the resources to deal with it," he said.

The first play-off matches are scheduled for 11-12 February, with the second legs taking place a week later. Both clubs have paired five times in the last six Champions League seasons.