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Manchester City: Possible Champions League opponents

By J.C. Gonzalez

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: Fans are seen on their way to the stadium prior to the UEFA Champions League group C match between Manchester City and Atalanta at Etihad Stadium on October 22, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: Fans are seen on their way to the stadium prior to the UEFA Champions League group C match between Manchester City and Atalanta at Etihad Stadium on October 22, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images) /
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With Manchester City finishing as Group C winners in the Champions League, the next stage will be finding out their Round of 16 opponent.

As the winners of Group C, Manchester City wrapped up another successful group stage in Europe, progressing to the knockouts of the Champions League for the seventh straight season.

With the league title gone, the focus will shift to this competition, with the knockouts beginning on Feb. 18, when star central defender Aymeric Laporte should be fit and ready to lead City back to their best.

City can face any runner-up from a group except Atalanta (the runner-up in Group C) or any English team that would finish second in a group. In this case, this rules out two other possible opponents: Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. The draw will take place on Monday, Dec. 16 at 11 am UK time.

Real Madrid (Group A)

In a potential rematch of the 2016 Champions League semi-final, with Real Madrid finishing second in Group A to winners PSG, Los Blancos could feature in an eye-catching Round of 16 tie. This would be an unfortunate draw from a City perspective, but straightforward last 16 ties the last two seasons against Basel and Schalke have not helped the Blues go deep in this tournament under Pep Guardiola, so perhaps an early test could get the players up to win the competition.

Atlético Madrid (Group D)

Finishing second to group winners Juventus, the two-time finalists from 2014 and 2016 have had a serious makeover under Diego Simeone this season. They have struggled for form for much of the season, but remain a talented squad and one of the tougher and more intriguing draws available to City in the Round of 16.

Napoli (Group E)

A familiar opponent in Europe, City faced off against the Italian side in the group stage two years ago. While Napoli are fresh off a 4-0 win over Genk to advance to the Round of 16, the club sacked manager Carlo Ancelotti hours later due to issues with the board and replaced him with former Milan manager Gennaro Gattuso. They currently sit seventh in Serie A and would be a tough but winnable draw for the Citizens.

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Borussia Dortmund (Group F)

Dortmund survived the group of death on the final matchday as Inter Milan lost to a weakened Barcelona side to drop into the Europa League. While Dortmund’s Lucien Favre had been under tremendous pressure for much of the season, his side are beginning to move up in the Bundesliga and play an exciting brand of attacking football. A return to the Etihad for former City academy product Jadon Sancho would be a tantalizing prospect, although this would be one of the harsher draws available.

Olympique Lyon (Group G)

Lyon are the only “easy” draw available for City this season. For the first time in Champions League history, the last 16 will be entirely comprised of teams from Europe’s “top five” leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1). Therefore, the French side are by far the easiest opponent City can draw, although they are no pushover. Players like Memphis Depay could pose a threat to the Blues’ defense, but overall, this is the most straightforward opponent available and the ideal draw.

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