After their victory at the Roudourou against Brest in the eighth and final matchday of the Champions League group stage, Real Madrid now knows their opponents for the play-offs and the Round of 16 in case of qualification.
The defending champions, Real Madrid will have to go through the play-offs, meaning the Round of 16, to hope to reach the quarter-finals. Having been defeated three times in the group stage this season, Carlo Ancelotti’s team had to fight until the last minute to secure a spot in the Top 8, which guarantees direct qualification to the next round. Despite the 3-0 victory against the surprising Brest team this Wednesday, the Merengues watched teams like Dortmund, Leverkusen, and Bayern Munich win their matches.
Real Madrid’s challenge against Man City or Celtic in the Round of 16?
Ranked 12th with 15 points after the group stage matches, Real Madrid will face either Celtic Glasgow or Manchester City in the play-offs for a chance to reach the Round of 16. As per the UEFA draw, the Madrid team will have to overcome one of the mentioned teams between February 11-12 (first leg) and February 18-19 (second leg). This Friday, UEFA will conduct the final draw that will determine their opponents, with Madrid already knowing they could face Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues.
Privately missing Vinicius Junior this Wednesday, Real Madrid will need to come back much stronger in two weeks to start the play-offs. If they qualify, Carlo Ancelotti and his squad will face Atlético Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the Round of 16. The first leg of these fixtures will take place on March 4-5 at the Santiago Bernabéu, while the second leg will be held on March 11-12 away. Tune in this Friday for the final draw to find out whether it will be City or Celtic facing Real Madrid in the play-offs.
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