The Carlo Ancelotti team did not qualify directly for the round of 16 and will now be confronted with Pep Guardiola and City in the Play -offs.
By far the most successful club in the history of the Champions League, Real Madrid would not have expected that he was not directly eligible for the round of 16 of the renewed edition of the 2024/25 tournament.
However, that is the perilous situation that the Carlo Ancelotti team is after the end of the 11th in the new initial competition phase, where only the top eight direct qualification for the round of 16 secures.
As a result, Madrid has to navigate through the two-legged knock-out phase play-offs to reach the last 16. And to make things even worse, they will stand up against Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, who have passed a difficult season, but probably as a more difficult challenge than Scottish champions Celtic, who the other potential opponents of Los Blancos in the Play -Offs were.
Real Madrid's long UCL stripes in danger
A defeat against City, which is completely realistic, would put an end to two long Real Madrid stripes in the competition. In the round of 16 (and mostly later stages), the Laliga Giants have included in each of the last 26 editions of the Champions League.
The last time they did not arrive in the 1996/1997 season, when they were not involved in the European competition after they were only sixth in Laliga last year.
It would also be the first time in 33 years since the Champions League was renamed the 1992/23 season, which Madrid qualified for the tournament and did not reach the round of 16.
So far they have made it 27 times of the 27; Will they make it 28 the 28 to keep their 100% record? We know by the time that the second legs of the knock -out phase -play -offs are completed on Wednesday 19 February.
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