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Kevin de Bruyne of Manchester City and Luka Modric of Real Madrid. Alamy Stock Photo

Manchester City face Real Madrid while Celtic take on Bayern Munich in Champions League

Knockout stages begin with some big ties.

LAST UPDATE | 17 hrs ago

MANCHESTER CITY will play Real Madrid, while Celtic face Bayern Munich in the Uefa Champions League round of 16 play-offs.  

Reigning champions Madrid will face 2023 winners Manchester City, following Friday’s draw.

It is the fourth year running in which the sides have been drawn against each other in a knockout tie, with Real emerging victorious in a penalty shoot-out in the quarter-finals last season.

City, who scraped through after finishing 22nd in the league phase in this first season of the new format for Europe’s elite club competition, will be at home in the first leg before going to Spain for the return.

Celtic will face six-time European champions Bayern Munich.

The Scottish champions are into the knockout stage for the first time in 12 years and last faced Bayern in the group phase in 2017/18, losing home and away.

Paris Saint-Germain will play surprise package Brest in an all-French tie, while Juventus play PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord take on AC Milan in two ties between former winners of the competition.

Last season’s Europa League winners Atalanta, who finished one place outside the top eight which offered a direct path to the last 16, will face Club Brugge of Belgium.

Sporting of Portugal were drawn against last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund, while Monaco will take on Benfica having lost at home to the Portuguese club in the league phase.

The play-off ties will take place next month, with the eight winners going through to the last 16 along with the eight highest-placed sides from the league phase.

Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille and Aston Villa are the sides already through to the last 16.

 

The play-off draw:

Brest vs PSG

Clubs Brugge vs Atalanta

Man City vs Real Madrid

Juventus vs PSV

Monaco vs Benfica

Sporting vs Borussia Dortmund

Celtic vs Bayern Munich

Feyenoord vs AC Milan

 

– © AFP 2025

 

Written by AFP and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.

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    Mute Deano74
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    Jan 31st 2025, 2:08 PM

    A big fixture so early, wouldn’t be too quick to write off city

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    Mute qffaffaf affrafrfraf
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    Jan 31st 2025, 12:22 PM

    City haven’t a snowball’s chance in hell of getting through that, that’s Pep gone

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    Mute John Fagan
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    Jan 31st 2025, 12:30 PM

    @qffaffaf affrafrfraf: Guardiola could walk into any job in the world. He could do with a break. Stress is getting to him.

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    Mute Shane O Mac
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    Jan 31st 2025, 12:46 PM

    @John Fagan: only if backed with money, he was never in a club that needed a re build

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    Mute Setanta O'Toole
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    Jan 31st 2025, 1:00 PM

    @qffaffaf affrafrfraf: wouldn’t write them off 100% even though it would be funny.

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    Mute Mick O'K
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    Jan 31st 2025, 1:21 PM

    @John Fagan: you can be guaranteed he won’t walk into any club. It would have to be in the top 4 of whatever league and a board that would financially back him like it was Christmas Day every window

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    Mute Brian
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    Jan 31st 2025, 2:14 PM

    @Shane O Mac: I don’t get this kind of commentary at all. Top managers go to top clubs.. generally with plenty of money made available to them.. and it certainly doesn’t guarantee success either. This managerial equivalent of ” can he do it at a cold wet night at stoke ” is just nonsense. Does Aidan O Brian need to go work in point to point to prove he’s the best ? Pep is unquestionably the best manager in the World . His track record proves it. All this other noise is just begrudgery..

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    Mute Martin Ridge
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    Jan 31st 2025, 8:56 PM

    @John Fagan: that’s why Klopp left Liverpool stressed out and burnt out. No life to live. Guardiola is out on his feet and his marriage over feel sorry for him

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    Mute Razor Mulligan
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    Jan 31st 2025, 12:50 PM

    Hala Real Madrid champions league 16 on the way

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    Mute did you every wonder
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    Jan 31st 2025, 12:29 PM

    Oh well, City got there, but just have to try avoiding a complete embarrassment here. Might be ugly!.

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    Mute David O Brien
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    Jan 31st 2025, 3:33 PM

    Bye bye City

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