Real Madrid have learned their fate in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages and the inevitable has occured for Alvaro Arbeloa's men. If Los Blancos are to extend their European title record they will have to get past some of the very best teams in Europe.
The draw for the knockout rounds took place on Friday morning and Madrid have been placed in the top half of the stages leading to the final. Arbeloa's men secured their spot in the last 16 after beating Benfica 2-1 (3-1 aggregate) on Wednesday.
Last 16
After Madrid beat Benfica everybody knew who they'd be drawn against in the Round of 16. There were two possibilities, either Manchester City or Sporting CP.
Arbeloa and Thibuat Courtois said that everyone knows they are going to be facing City. That is indeed the case following the draw which pits Los Blancos against the Cityzens.
The two sides have met in five knockout rounds of the last six Champions League campaigns. They did so last season and Madrid prevailed, beating Pep Guardiola's men 6-3 in the play-offs.
Arbeloa's side will be underdogs given City boast a 2-1 win at the Bernabeu from the league phase earlier this season. If another European title is to be added to the club's trophy cabinet Los Merengues have to do it the hard way.
Quarter-finals
Should Madrid beat City they will face either Atalanta or Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. A meeting with the Italians is probably preferred, given that the Germans are one of the tournament's favorites.
Atalanta booked their place in the knockout rounds with a dramatic 4-1 (4-3 aggregate) win over Borussia Dortmund. They aren't the same team that won the Europa League two years ago and lost star man Ademola Lookman to Atletico Madrid in January.
Bayern are firing on all cylinders and are in stellar form both domestically and in Europe. They finished second during the league phase, winning seven of eight matches and will be confident of beating Los Blancos.
Semi-finals
If Madrid can make it past either Atalanta or Bayern they could come up against reigning European champions PSG. Luis Enrique's men are failing to replicate their sextuple season and performances have been a concern.
That said, the Parisians are still one of the most dangerous attacking teams in Europe. They thrashed Los Blancos 4-0 in last summer's FIFA Club World Cup.
Chelsea face PSG in the last 16, and they will be eager to replicate their 3-0 win over the French giants from the Club World Cup final. The Blues are a tricky team to come up against boasting Enzo Fernandez who is linked with a move to the Bernabeu.
The other last 16 clash sees Galatasaray take on Liverpool, and a clash with the Turkish giants could be tricky given Victor Osimhen is thriving up top. They make their stadium a fortress and a difficult atmosphere to ignore.
Liverpool and Madrid have a storied history in Europe and another chapter in that book could ensue. Arne Slot's Premier League champions have come off the boil but are always strong in the Champions League.
Final
The other side of the draw has thrown up last 16 clashes between Barcelona and Newcastle United, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur, Bodo/Glimt and Sporting CP and Bayer Leverkusen and Arsenal.
An encounter with Barca in an El Clasico Champions League final would be the pick of the bunch from a fan's perspective. But the favorites to win the competition are Arsenal who won each of their eight league phase games and defeated Los Blancos in last season's quarter-finals.