The UEFA Champions League knockout stage kicks off this week, with the standout tie set to feature Manchester City against Real Madrid on Tuesday, February 11, at the Etihad Stadium.
Both clubs, accustomed to deep runs in the competition, would have preferred to avoid this early meeting, with each side having expected to secure a top-eight finish in the group stage. Instead, they will face off in a clash that guarantees the elimination of one of the last two winners of the tournament.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti commented on the challenging nature of the fixture, acknowledging their tough history against City. “We don’t like to play against City, but if we have to, we’ll do it like on other occasions,” Ancelotti said, reflecting on Madrid’s recent victories over the Premier League side in the past three seasons.
City manager Pep Guardiola also anticipated a fierce contest: “Madrid or Bayern, both were really tough, hopefully, we can arrive in the first leg here and the next one in Madrid as best as possible,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich, who could have been drawn against City, will instead travel to Glasgow to face Celtic on Wednesday, February 12. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers expressed excitement about the challenge, having previously faced Bayern in 2017. “We’ve earned to get to the playoff stage,” he said, adding that his team has shown considerable improvement.
Other exciting matchups in the knockout stage include an all-French battle between Brest and Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus facing Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven, and Sporting CP meeting Borussia Dortmund. AC Milan will take on Feyenoord, Atalanta will face Club Brugge, and Benfica will square off against Monaco.
DStv subscribers can follow all the action live on SuperSport channels. For those on the go, the DStv Stream app offers the opportunity to catch all the games.
Broadcast Details:
Tuesday, 11 February
19:00: Goals Show – LIVE on SuperSport Events
19:45: Brest v Paris Saint-Germain – LIVE on SuperSport Premier League & SuperSport Maximo 1
22:00: Manchester City v Real Madrid – LIVE on SuperSport Grandstand, SuperSport Premier League & SuperSport Maximo 1
22:00: Juventus v PSV Eindhoven – LIVE on SuperSport Variety 3 & SuperSport Maximo 2
22:00: Sporting CP v Borussia Dortmund – LIVE on SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Football & SuperSport Maximo 360
Wednesday, 12 February
19:00: Goals Show – LIVE on SuperSport Events
19:45: Club Brugge v Atalanta – LIVE on SuperSport Variety 3 & SuperSport Maximo 1
22:00: Feyenoord v AC Milan – LIVE on SuperSport Football & SuperSport Maximo 360
22:00: Celtic v Bayern Munich – LIVE on SuperSport PSL & SuperSport Maximo 1
22:00: Monaco v Benfica – LIVE on SuperSport Variety 3 & SuperSport Maximo 3
