Who Man City Could Play in the Champions League Round of 16

The Cityzens await their next opponent in the competition.

Man City slipped outside of the top eight on the penultimate gameweek. | Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Manchester City avoided the all too familiar perils of the Champions League knockout playoffs by finishing eighth in the league phase with a win in their final match in January.

Victory over Club Brugge on the final day of the league phase last season saw them squeeze into the top 24, but a two-legged affair against 15-time winners Real Madrid greeted them with a place in the last 16 at stake. They were comprehensively beaten.

Man City are certainly improved from their trophy-less 2024–25 campaign, but a stunning defeat to Bodø/Glimt put a top-eight finish this time in jeopardy. That said, beating Galatasaray thanks to first-half goals from Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki was enough because of Real Madrid losing.

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Who Could Man City Face in the Champions League Last 16?

Man City scraped into the top eight despite league phase setbacks. | FREDERIC DIDES/AFP/Getty Images

There is a 50/50 chance that it will be Real Madrid again. The clubs already met in the league phase this season, with Nico O’Reilly and Haaland scoring in a 2–1 City win in the Bernabéu in early December. They had been paired in the knockouts in each of the previous four seasons as well.

Another matchup against Bodø/Glimt, and another trip to the Arctic Circle, could also happen after the Norwegians continued their Champions League journey by eliminating Inter from the knockout playoffs. City lost the league phase encounter last month and the embarrassment of it saw the players cover the cost of away fan tickets.

Manchester City will find out which team it is when the round of 16 draw is made on Feb. 27.

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