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Manchester City could not earn automatic qualification to the Champions League’s last-16.
UEFA Champions League knockouts draws (AP)
After incorporating a major change in the Champions League format this season, the premier European football competition may witness another huge revamp soon. An article published by The Guardian claimed that discussions to get rid of extra time from Champions League knockout rounds are gaining momentum within the UEFA in a bid to reduce the number of minutes played by the top teams. The report went on to suggest that the topic of taking matches straightaway to penalties is being considered seriously, however, a change midway through the television rights cycle, which will go on until 2027, appears to be unlikely. The fixture congestion has been a highly discussed matter and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola recently talked about the schedule after his side was handed a two-legged Champions League playoff tie against Real Madrid. It is going to be the fourth successive season that the reigning Premier League winners have been drawn against Real Madrid.
“The schedule is what it is,” Pep Guardiola had said, as per The Guardian. “In the Premier League everyone has to play everyone but what normally happens is we have tougher schedules for the [Premier League] teams in Europe. It’s tough playing against Real Madrid, the problem is in the middle playing Newcastle, the Spaniard added.
Pep Guardiola went on to further explain, sarcastically, “They are always so kind with the calendar, for many years it always happened that way.”
Manchester City could not earn automatic qualification to the Champions League’s last-16 and it resulted in their tie against current holders Real Madrid. Manchester City will host the first leg on February 11 while they will take on the 15-time Champions League winners in the away fixture on February 19. Manchester City were up against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.
Manchester City endured a dismal away game against Arsenal conceding a 5-1 loss at the Emirates Stadium. Erling Haaland scored an equaliser early in the second half having cancelled out Martin Odegaard’s opening goal. But it was not enough to salvage a point. Thomas Partey, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz and Ethan Nwaneri scored the remaining goals for the Gunners. Manchester City will next be taking on Leyton Orient in the FA Cup on February 8.
