CHAMPIONS League action is back with the knockout phase play-offs. 16 teams are gearing up to compete against each other, looking to join the eight teams that have already advanced to the last 16. Manchester City and Celtic are among those who are playing this week and will be aiming to progress to the next stage - they're up against current holders of the competition, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, respectively.
![[Manchester City players celebrating a goal.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/manchester-city-teammates-celebrate-brugge-967653260.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
This will be the fourth year in a row that City have faced off against Real in the knockout stage of the competition - and they will know they need nothing short of a perfect display across both legs to get passed the 15-time winners of the competition. In the previous three meetings of these two footballing giants, City have only got past Los Blancos once and that was the year they went all the way to pick up their first Champions League title.
Similarly, Real Madrid have beat City twice in the last three years, and they picked up the trophy on both occasions, so fans will know they are in for a hell of a tie over the next week!. Just like any other knockout stage in the Champions League round, there will indeed be two legs. The first legs of these play-off fixtures will take place on the 11th and 12th February, with the second legs the following week on the 18th and 19th February.
