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Pep Guardiola’s toughest season to date at the Etihad has seen the four-years-in-a-row Premier League champions drop far more results than they’re used to, both domestically and on the continent.
However while the old format of the UCL may have penalised them for this over six games, they did enough over eight in the new ‘league phase’ to stay alive.
Here’s a rundown of what that means for them, who might be next and the disadvantages they may face due to their final league phase position.
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City won three, drew two and lost three for a final league phase total of 11 points — however it was just enough to finish 22nd out of 36 teams and make the 24-team cutoff for advancement.
With only the top eight moving straight on to the Round of 16, however, City must win a playoff to join the likes of fellow Premier League sides Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa.
The teams in positions 9-16 are paired (9th and 10th, 11th and 12th, etc), as are those in 17-24. That makes City’s neighbours in the final standings the 21st-placed Glasgow Celtic.
City and Celtic will each play a team from either 11th or 12th position, determined by the playoffs draw on Friday January 31. That means City will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in what is guaranteed to be a tough obstacle.
If City draw Real, Celtic will face Bayern or vice versa.
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From the Round of 16 onwards, the draw is pre-determined all the way to the final, allowing teams to map out who they will face with greater clarity.
The draw to decide the Round of 16 ties, plus the bracket for the quarterfinals and semifinals, is held on February 21.
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