Champions League draw LIVE: Man City and Celtic face blockbusters with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich ties
The eight Champions League play-offs have been revealed, with a place in the last-16 in the tournament up for grabs
Manchester City will face Real Madrid in a blockbuster Champions League play-off tie, with Celtic taking on Bayern Munich for a place in the last-16.
Premier League champions City scraped through by beating Club Brugge and, as the 22nd seeds, knew they would face a true European heavyweight in the next round. Holders Madrid failed to finish in the top-eight as well, setting up a massive two-legged tie against City. Celtic, meanwhile, will be huge underdogs against German giants Bayern.
Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa are already through after claiming one of the top-eight spots in the inaugural league phase, but they will have to wait for next month’s last-16 draw for the knockout bracket to be fully set.
Liverpool finished top of the league standings and will face one of Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Monaco or Brest, while Arsenal know one of AC Milan, PSV Feyenoord or Juventus awaits them. Aston Villa, the eighth seeds, can prepare for one of Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting or Club Brugge.
In the other play-offs, PSG play Brest in an all-French tie, Monaco meet Benfica, Club Brugge take on Atalanta, Sporting entertain Dortmund, Feyenoord face Milan and Juventus challenge PSV.
This morning’s draw in Nyon will determine the play-offs and you can follow all the updates in the live blog below. The Europa League draw will follow at around 12pm GMT.
Potential opponents for seeded English teams in last-16
Liverpool (1st)
15th: PSG
16th: Benfica
17th: Monaco
18th: Brest
Arsenal (3rd)
13th: AC Milan
14th: PSV
19th: Feyenoord
20th: Juventus
Aston Villa (8th)
9th: Atalanta
10th: Borussia Dortmund
23th: Sporting CP
24th: Club Brugge
Did the much-hyped Champions League group stage finale work
36 teams? Playing 18 matches? All at once? There were goals galore on Wednesday night as the Champions League finale played out, but Miguel Delaney thought the new format gave the richest clubs exactly what they wanted.
Why the much-hyped Champions League group stage finale simply didn’t work
Manchester City averted disaster but their obvious frailties are a cause for concern
A manager defined by finishing first may never be so relieved to come 22nd. Pep Guardiola was 45 minutes from abject humiliation. Twenty months after winning the Champions League, Manchester City were on course to be cast out of it. Embarrassment was on the agenda.
It was averted. By character, by the resolve of a veteran and the skill of a rookie.
Man City averted disaster but their frailties are a cause for concern
Champions League knockout stages begins to take shape
7th/8th to play 9th/10th/23rd/24th – Lille/Aston Villa to play Atalanta/Borussia Dortmund/Sporting/Club Brugge
5th/6th to play 11th/12th/21st/22nd – Atletico Madrid/Bayer Leverkusen to play Real Madrid/Bayern Munich/Celtic/Manchester City
3rd/4th to play 13th/14th/19th/20th – Arsenal/Inter Milan to play AC Milan/PSV/Feyenoord/Juventus
1st/2nd to play 15th/16th/17th/18th – Liverpool/Barcelona to play PSG/Benfica/Monaco/Brest
Why Celtic fans face Champions League ban ahead of Real Madrid or Bayern Munich tie
Celtic fans could be banned from attending their blockbuster Champions League tie against European giants Real Madrid or Bayern Munich after letting off fireworks during the defeat at Aston Villa on Wednesday.
The Scottish club were hit with a one-match suspended ban on issuing away tickets for Champions League games as well as an immediate €20,000 fine after supporters lit pyrotechnics during the 7-1 defeat at Borussia Dortmund earlier in the campaign.
Uefa warned Celtic that supporters would be banned if there was a repeat of the incident within the next two years, and European football’s governing body may decide to take action after a green smoke bomb was thrown onto the pitch at Villa Park in the league phase finale.
Why Celtic fans face Champions League ban ahead of Real Madrid or Bayern Munich tie
The four clubs Aston Villa could draw in Champions League last-16
Aston Villa have already enjoyed a memorable return to the European stage and now Unai Emery’s side are awaiting their fate after reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League.
The 1982 European champions marked their return to the continent’s top club competition by beating Bayern Munich at Villa Park, while there were impressive wins over Bologna and RB Leipzig too.
Defeats on the road to Club Brugge and Monaco suggests that Villa will have to improve when the knockout stages get underway, with some suggestions that Emery’s side have gone off the boil since the early stages of the season.
But Emery has an impressive knockout record in European football, even if the majority of his wins across two-legged ties during spells at Villarreal and Sevilla have come in the Europa League.
It means Villa are set to be one of the teams to watch after they managed to sneak into the top eight and advance directly to the last 16 by beating Celtic 4-2 in a Villa Park thriller on the final day of the group stage.
Confirmed: The 4 clubs Aston Villa could draw in Champions League last-16
The four clubs Arsenal could draw in Champions League last-16
Arsenal did not always enjoy the easiest of Champions League campaigns but Mikel Arteta’s side are safely through to the last 16 as one of the top eight seeds.
The Gunners required heroics from David Raya to earn a 0-0 draw in Atalanta before slipping to a 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan in the San Siro early on in the league phase.
But Arsenal’s excellent home form - with wins over Paris Saint-Germain, Shakhtar Donetsk, Monaco and Dinamo Zagreb, to an aggregate score of 12-0 - ensured their safe passage to the last 16.
Arsenal’s secured third spot in the league standings by beating Girona away on the final day to ensure that they skip the play-off rounds, as Arteta’s side now await to find out who they could play in the last 16 in March.
The four clubs Arsenal could draw in Champions League last-16
Who Liverpool could draw in the Champions League last 16
Liverpool await their fate in the Champions League draw after progressing to the last 16 as one of the top two seeds under Arne Slot.
The Reds romped to the top of the standings in what was a memorable inaugural league phase for the six-time European champions.
Slot’s side managed to replicate their domestic form and secured statement wins over Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan.
Liverpool also defeated Bologna, RB Leipzig, Girona and Lille to comfortably wrap up qualification before slipping to defeat to PSV with a much-changed team on the final day.
And now the Premier League leaders await to see who they will face in the last 16 in March, after earning a bye through the play-off rounds.
Who Liverpool could draw in the Champions League last 16
Celtic's dangerous potential opponents in Champions League knockout play-offs revealed
Celtic are through to the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time since 2013, with Brendan Rodgers’ side now awaiting their fate ahead of Friday’s play-off draw.
The 1967 European champions have benefitted from the new-look Champions League format and ensured their progression to the knockout rounds with a game to spare, despite a 7-1 hammering away to Borussia Dortmund early on.
The Glasgow side recovered, claiming valuable home wins over RB Leipzig and Young Boys while earning points on the road away to Atalanta and Dinamo Zagreb before losing a thriller to Aston Villa on the final matchday on Wednesday night.
And with a comfortable lead over rivals Rangers in the Scottish Premiership title race and the League Cup already secured, Celtic can start dreaming of knockout football returning to Parkhead for the first time since losing out to Juventus in February 2013.
Celtic's dangerous potential opponents in Champions League knockouts revealed
Who Man City could draw in Champions League knockout play-offs
It was a rollercoaster, but Manchester City are safely through to the knockout rounds of the Champions League after coming from behind to beat Club Brugge 3-1 on the final day of group-stage action.
Mateo Kovacic, an own goal and Savinho stopped City stunningly crashing out after Raphael Onyedika gave Brugge a lead on the stroke of half-time but Pep Guardiola’s side have to settle for the play-offs after finishing outside of the top eight of the league phase.
Improbable collapses to Sporting, Feyenoord and Paris Saint-Germain left the 2023 European champions in a precarious position going into the final round.
But City kept their nerve to beat Club Brugge and advance, although a difficult path through to the Munich finals now awaits them with two European giants as their potential opponents.
City will be unseeded for Friday’s play-off draw but the Premier League side may take that after facing the possibility of crashing out altogether.
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