Champions League fixture dates as play-off schedule confirmed

The Independent

·31 de janeiro de 2025

Champions League fixture dates as play-off schedule confirmed

Manchester City and Real Madrid will meet in the Champions League knockout stages for the fourth year in a row as Pep Guardiola looks forward to another “derby” against the 15-time winners.

City were drawn to face holders Madrid in the Champions League play-offs, after both clubs failed to reach the last-16 automatically by finishing outside the top eight of the inaugural league phase.

Vídeos OneFootball

Madrid defeated City on penalties in last season’s quarter-finals before going on to lift the Champions League at Wembley. In the season before, City triumphed over Madrid in the semi-finals before beating Inter in the Istanbul final.

“It looks like a derby already, four years in a row facing Madrid,” Guardiola said. “Hopefully we can arrive in the moment and win the first leg here and the game one week later in Madrid.”

Celtic’s first Champions League knockout tie since 2013 promises to be another big occasion as the Glasgow side take on German giants Bayern Munich, while Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa are already through to the last-16.