Manchester Metropolis discover themselves susceptible to exiting the UEFA Champions League completely, but additionally on the verge of securing a play-off place for the last-16 of the competitors.
After a string of vastly disappointing outcomes all through the course of the eight-game league part of the competitors to date, Pep Guardiola and his gamers come into their last outing in opposition to Membership Brugge in twenty fifth place.
Manchester Metropolis, who received this very competitors on the finish of the 2022/23 season for the primary time within the membership’s historical past, know that solely a win in opposition to the Belgian aspect would safe themselves a spot within the play-off spherical for the last-16.
The Premier League champions noticed themselves to succumb to a 4-1 away defeat to Sporting CP, earlier than throwing away a three-goal lead at residence to Feyenoord to attract 3-3, and lose 2-0 in a colorless away loss to Juventus on matchday six.
An away journey to Paris Saint-Germain adopted within the penultimate recreation of the league part, as Metropolis as soon as once more gave up a bonus to lose, take a 0-2 lead early within the second-half solely to concede 4 targets to Luis Enrique’s males.
And forward of the ultimate matchday on this season’s league part of Europe’s premier membership competitors with all nonetheless to play for, right here is every little thing it is advisable know forward of the last-16 play-off draw within the UEFA Champions League!
When will the UEFA Champions League last-16 play-off draw happen?
The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League knockout part play-off draw takes place from 11:00 (UK) on Friday 31 January, with the process carried out on the Home of European Soccer in Nyon, Switzerland.
How does the UEFA Champions League last-16 play-off draw work?
Eight bowls are ready for the draw, with balls containing the names of the seeded and unseeded groups positioned in pairs within the corresponding marked bowls in response to the league part rankings.
The draw begins with the unseeded groups, allocating every staff from a pair of unseeded groups to one of many related pre-determined positions within the bracket, beginning with the perimeters ranked 23/24 and ending with these in 17/18.
One ball is taken from the bowl containing the 2 related ranked groups (i.e. the groups ranked 23 and 24) and is opened to show the staff. The primary staff drawn from this bowl is positioned of their reserved spot on the silver aspect of the bracket. The opposite unseeded staff of the pairing is then drawn and displayed, and allotted within the corresponding reserved spot on the blue aspect of the bracket.
The identical process is carried out with the remaining unseeded golf equipment.
As soon as all of the pairings of unseeded groups have been drawn and assigned to an acceptable place on the bracket, the draw continues with the seeded sides, beginning with the pairing ranked 15/16. The method is similar as described above for the unseeded groups, with the primary staff drawn from the related bowl allotted to the reserved designated spot on the silver aspect of the bracket and the second staff on the blue aspect.
The process is repeated for the remaining pairings, ending with the groups ranked 9/10 to finish the pairings for the knockout spherical play-offs.
In precept, the seeded golf equipment play the return leg at residence.
Sides can face one other staff from the identical nationwide affiliation within the knockout part play-offs. Golf equipment may face opponents they met in the course of the league part.
How can I watch the UEFA Champions League last-16 play-off draw?
UEFA have confirmed that the complete draw process shall be streamed stay on UEFA.com, whereas will provide an immediate final result ought to Manchester Metropolis be current within the draw on our social media channels and web site.
Which groups have secured a UEFA Champions League last-16 play-off place?
The groups that completed between ninth and twenty fourth within the league part will compete in a two-legged knockout part play-off to safe their path to the final 16 of the competitors.
When will UEFA Champions League last-16 play-off matches be performed?
The knockout part play-offs are performed over the course of two weeks:
First legs: 11/12 February 2025
Second legs: 18/19 February 2025
Every membership will, in precept, play as soon as on a Tuesday and as soon as on a Wednesday. UEFA will verify the calendar, together with match dates and kick-off instances, on the night of the draw.
If matches are impacted by stadium or metropolis clashes, these shall be resolved in accordance with the relevant rules set by the Membership Competitions Committee.
What does that imply for Manchester Metropolis’s fixture schedule?
For Manchester Metropolis, that might imply {that a} first-leg play-off conflict would happen after the FA Cup fourth spherical tie away to Leyton Orient, and earlier than the Premier League assembly with Newcastle United on the Etihad Stadium.
The second-leg would observe the latter of the aforementioned two fixtures, and are available earlier than Manchester Metropolis’s mammoth assembly with Liverpool at residence within the Premier League on Sunday 23 February.