In MADRID (AP) on Wednesday, either Real Madrid or Manchester City, both recent Champions League winners, will bid farewell to the competition before reaching the round of 16. The defending champions, Madrid, hold a narrow 3-2 advantage going into the second leg on their home turf in a crucial knockout clash. Manchester City’s coach, Pep Guardiola, initially downplayed his team’s chances of progressing, suggesting they only had a mere 1% shot at advancing. However, Guardiola later retracted his statement, a sentiment echoed by Madrid’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti.
On Tuesday, Man City witnessed Celtic’s valiant effort against Bayern Munich, where despite losing the first leg at home, Celtic nearly pushed the German giants to the brink. A late goal in stoppage time saved Bayern from extra time, securing a 1-1 draw and a 3-2 aggregate victory. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund will defend commanding 3-0 leads at home against Brest and Sporting Lisbon, respectively, in their upcoming fixtures.
Italian teams faced tough challenges this week, with Juventus holding a narrow 2-1 lead over PSV Eindhoven. AC Milan suffered a shocking defeat at home to Feyenoord, while Atalanta fell 5-2 on aggregate to Club Brugge. Despite Brugge’s underdog status, they clinched the final qualifying spot in the expanded 36-team competition, even with a negative goal difference superior to Dinamo Zagreb.
In a recurring showdown, Madrid and Man City will square off for the fourth consecutive year in the knockout stages, with the victor historically going on to claim the coveted trophy. The stakes remain high for the winner as they will face either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the next round. The new seeded bracket format in the knockout stage sets the stage for fierce competition, with the top eight seedings held by Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico, Leverkusen, Lille, and Aston Villa.
The draw on Friday at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, will determine the matchups, with the top-seeded teams hosting second-leg matches on March 11-12. Bayern, Benfica, Brugge, and Feyenoord are among the unseeded teams that will host the first legs on March 4-5. The competition intensifies as teams vie for glory in the prestigious Champions League tournament.
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