Manchester City is confronted with a nightmare -run if they want to reach the Champions League final.
City underwent a terrible competition phase and won only three of their eight games to finish in 22nd place. That makes them the third lowest placed team for the draw for the play-off stage on Friday.
Pep Guardiola's side saved their campaign with a victory over Club Brugge on Wednesday evening. But they are confronted with a tough fight to win the Champions League for the second time, after their success in 2023.
In their run to eliminate the trophy in Istanbul, City RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid defeated in the Knock outphase. They may have confronted two European heavyweights, but this time their task seems even harder.
First the play-off round will be with the 16 teams that ended in the table between the ninth and 24th. The teams that end between the ninth and 16th are sown and will be confronted with a team from the 17th to the 24th.
Potential opponents are defined in advance by couples of the latest competition positions of teams. Teams that end ninth and tenth will, for example, opposite the sides that end 23rd or 24th; Teams that end 11th or 12th are drawn against the 21st or 22nd sides placed, and so on.
Since City 22nd ended, this means that they are confronted with Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, who are both at the top of their respective domestic competitions. If they claim, they will take the last 16 or Atletico Madrid against Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid.
Leverkusen finished sixth in the competition phase, with Atletico finished in one place above them. If the city wins that draw, they will be confronted in the quarterfinals with one of Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan or Arsenal.
If they pass one of those giants, a semi -final against Barcelona or Liverpool may wait. Barca and the Reds finished in the two top two places in the competition phase and handed a favorable run for the knockout phases.
The city is one of the lowest placed sides that are on their way to the knockouts and Guardiola does not expect them to win the competition. He said: “Not now. I am so pragmatic, the reality is reality.
“If we play tomorrow, it will be difficult, but we will see in two weeks. We are going to try and see what happens. “We earn it. We can do better. I don't know if they like to play us, but it is what it is. No complaints at all.
“Bayern or Madrid – One is the king of the competition; the other is the second or third king of the competition. The experience of the second stage there. They are now better than we do, but we will see what is in it Two happens. “
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