Reigning champions Real Madrid are set for another showdown with 2023 winners Manchester City in the standout fixture of the Champions League play-off round, following Friday’s draw.
This marks the fourth consecutive season the two European heavyweights will clash in the knockout stage, with Real edging City on penalties in 2024 quarter-finals.
City, who secured their play-off spot after finishing 22nd in the league phase under the new format, will host the first leg before traveling to Spain for the return fixture.
Elsewhere, Celtic will battle six-time European champions Bayern Munich, marking the Scottish club’s first appearance in the knockout rounds in 12 years.
An all-French encounter sees Paris Saint-Germain drawn against surprise contenders Brest, while Juventus take on PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord meet AC Milan in two matchups featuring former European champions.
Atalanta, last season’s Europa League winners, narrowly missed an automatic last-16 spot and will now face Belgian side Club Brugge.
Sporting CP of Portugal will go up against last year’s finalists Borussia Dortmund, while Monaco, who lost to Benfica in the league phase, will get another shot at the Portuguese giants in their play-off tie.
These fixtures will be played in February, with the winners advancing to the last 16, where they will join the top eight teams from the league phase—Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, and Aston Villa.
