Real Madrid Confidencial Real Madrid-Manchester City in the Champions League Round of 16: dates are set
The Merengue team already knows its opponent for the Champions League round of 16.
After the match between Stade Brestois and Real Madrid, the white team is already in the round of 32 of the Champions League. The conclusion of the league phase of this revamped format has left the merengue team in the 11th position, a place that grants them home advantage for the knockout stage.
The performance of Carlo Ancelotti's pupils hasn't been what everyone expected at the beginning of the season. The arrival of Kylian Mbappé to Santiago Bernabéu locker room promised unending victories both in LaLiga and in the top continental competition, something that hasn't fully materialized.
The three defeats suffered against LOSC Lille, AC Milan, and Liverpool have prevented Real Madrid from being directly in the round of 16, with a matchup that will be difficult to solve. The white club's priority is to reach this knockout round... but first they must face Manchester City.
Finally, it is the English team chosen, through the draw held today by UEFA, to compete with Real Madrid for a spot in the round of 16. This high-impact double match is just the beginning of a journey filled with elite European football teams.
The journey begins
Real Madrid must attend to this round of 32 knockout stage in a complicated situation. Besides trying to advance in the successive rounds of the Copa del Rey, they must not forget their defense of the LaLiga leadership. The first match of the round of 32 will be on February 11 at the Etihad Stadium, while the return leg will be played on February 19 at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.
The position of the white club in the league phase will require them to defeat several of the best clubs of the moment to be in the Munich final. They will have to face in the round of 16, if they beat Manchester City, against Atlético de Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen for a spot in the quarterfinals of the 24/25 Champions League.
The path ahead for Real Madrid in the first two knockout rounds guarantees challenging matches, challenges worthy of the 'kings of Europe'. But the ambition of the players and members of the coaching staff to achieve the Sixteenth is evident: Carlo Ancelotti has already made it clear that his job depends on it.
Real Madrid must aspire to reach the final held in Munich, and win it, with the goal of defending the championship and reclaiming it. After another Champions League full of comebacks last season, the pupils of the Reggiolo coach managed to defeat Borussia Dortmund at Wembley. The negative surprises gathered during the league phase could have served as a lesson for future knockouts.
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