Man City's dream route to Champions League final - Rematch revenage and all-English tie

Manchester City will discover their route to the Champions League final today following the completion of the play-off round.

Manchester City's quest for their second Champions League title will take shape today when the round of 16 draw takes place. The Blues avoided the play-offs this season thanks to a dramatic final matchday in the League Phase.

Pep Guardiola's side needed a win and other results to go their way to sneak into the top eight. After a routine victory over Galatasaray, Benfica's win against Real Madrid ensured automatic qualification for the knockout stages. With the first leg of the round of 16 kicking off in less than two weeks, MEN Sport has taken a look at the dream path to the final for City ahead of the draw.

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Round of 16 - Bodo/Glimt

A few months ago, this would have easily been the best scenario for the Blues compared to a possible clash with Real Madrid. However, this season has proven how difficult a trip to Norway is.

Bodo/Glimt are in sensational form, having beaten Atletico Madrid, Inter twice and City back in January. This purple patch extends further, having drawn with Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham on their way to the knockout stages.

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But City will fancy themselves to perform better on Bodo/Glimt's artificial pitch compared to their display last month. The benefit of playing the second leg at home will also count in their favour.

Quarter-final - Bayer Leverkusen

If City were to be drawn against and beat Bodo/Glimt, Bayer Leverkusen, Arsenal or Bayern Munich would be their opponents in the last eight. The Gunners and Bayern are both top of their leagues so Leverkusen would clearly be the easier draw.

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The 2023/24 Bundesliga champions sit sixth in Germany but will move a point outside the top four if they win their game in hand. Having sacked former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag after just three matches, Leverkusen have steadied under former Denmark head coach Kasper Hjulmand.

City have lost to Leverkusen already this season but that team was heavily rotated. With a stronger line-up, City should advance.

Semi-final - Newcastle United

With all due respect to Newcastle, it is not exactly a dream European trip for City supporters. Guardiola, on the other hand, would be delighted if Eddie Howe's side were City's opponents in the semi-finals.

Not only would it be a relatively short trip by Champions League standards, City have recent history of beating Newcastle over two legs. Before the 5-1 aggregate defeat in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, Howe said: "Man City are the hardest team in the country to play over two legs."

City will hope that proves to be the case again.

Final - Atalanta

A lot would have to go right for City if Atalanta were to meet them in Budapest. Atalanta are Italy's only representatives left in the Champions League and will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the round of 16.

Real Madrid would likely meet them in the quarter-finals before they potentially faced Barcelona or Liverpool in the semis. Defeating all those teams would ensure the Blues respected them in the final.

But, in a one-off match, City would be favourites.