Real Madrid aims to steer clear of Manchester City in the upcoming round, as manager Carlo Ancelotti expressed following their 3-0 victory over Brest on Wednesday, securing their place in the Champions League playoff as a seeded team.
The defending champions are set to compete against either Celtic or Manchester City in a two-legged playoff in February, with the return match hosted at their home ground.
“We’ll have to wait for the draw. Ideally, avoiding City would be preferable as it would be a challenging match for both sides. However, we must await the draw’s outcome. The game was commendable; we performed excellently and displayed a strong aspect of our team.
The squad was robust and focused. We’re satisfied and pleased, though it’s unfortunate we didn’t engage with this competition sooner. Nonetheless, we’re delighted to be competing at this stage now,” Ancelotti remarked.
Real Madrid’s journey to the last 16 was hindered by a sluggish start in the league phase, suffering three defeats in their initial five matches.
The playoff draw is scheduled for Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.
City’s Narrow Escape
Manchester City sustained their Champions League aspirations by edging out Club Brugge 3-1 in a tense, decisive match, propelled by goals from Mateo Kovacic, substitute Savinho, and an own goal from the Belgian side.
This crucial win in their final league-phase game ensured Pep Guardiola’s squad a place in the two-legged playoff knockout round.
Brugge momentarily silenced the Etihad Stadium just before halftime when Ferran Jutgla outmaneuvered Matheus Nunes and delivered a cross that Raphael Onyedika converted into a goal.
Kovacic equalized in the 53rd minute, navigating through Brugge’s defense and striking from the edge of the box into the net’s corner.
City took the lead nine minutes later due to an own goal by Joel Ordonez, who inadvertently redirected Josko Gvardiol’s cross into his own net. Savinho then sealed the victory in the 77th minute, capitalizing on a precise cross-field pass from John Stones, controlling it with his chest before scoring past goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
