Champions League draw simulated as Man City handed nightmare tie in last 16
Manchester City automatically qualified for the round of 16 in the Champions League thanks to an eighth-place finish in the league phase, and will face either Bodo/Glimt or Real Madrid
Manchester City will play either Bodo/Glimt or Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16(Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
Manchester City will face either Bodo/Glimt or Real Madrid in the round of 16 of the Champions League, and will learn their fate at 11am on Friday, February 27. City are one of five Premier League teams who automatically qualified for the next stage of the competition.
Arsenal topped the table in the league phase of Europe’s premier football tournament, while Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur finished third and fourth respectively. Chelsea snagged sixth, while City qualified in eighth.
While Newcastle United finished 12th in the league standings, they will also join their Premier League rivals in the round of 16 thanks to a 9-3 aggregate win over Qarabag over two legs. While each team is currently waiting for confirmation of who they will play next, the Manchester Evening News has simulated how the last 16 of the Champions League could look tomorrow morning…
In our simulated draw, City are set for another match-up with 14-time winners Real Madrid. The two teams have played each other in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the last four seasons, with Los Blancos winning thrice.
Last season’s competition also saw Madrid run out 6-3 winners over on aggregate. That’s not to say that Bodo/Glimt would be anything but a challenge if recent form is anything to go off, however.
Not only did the Norwegian outfit stamp their ticket in the last 16 via a 5-2 aggregate win over Inter Milan, but they also enjoyed a shock 3-1 win over City in this season’s league phase last month. Elsewhere, our draw sees Chelsea meet PSG in the next round of the competition, while Arsenal take on Atalanta.
Newcastle United with be tasked with a high-flying Barcelona if our simulation runs true, while Liverpool will take on Atletico Madrid. Spurs will also meet with Galatasaray if the forecast is correct.
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The MEN’s simulated round of 16 in full
PSG vs Chelsea
Galatasaray vs Tottenham
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
Atalanta vs Arsenal
Newcastle vs Barcelona
Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool
Bodo/Glimt vs Sporting CP
Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich
Simulated quarter-finals
QF 1: PSG or Chelsea vs Galatasaray or Tottenham
QF 2: Real Madrid or Man City vs Atalanta or Arsenal
QF 3: Newcastle or Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid or Liverpool
QF 4: Bodo/Glimt or Sporting vs Bayer Leverkusen or Bayern Munich
Semi-finals
Winner of QF 1 vs winner of QF 2
Winner of QF 3 vs winner of QF 4
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