Who City and United could face in quest for Euro glory
CITY and United have both qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Both sides can still qualify as winners of their respective groups, but who can they face in the last 16, and when is the draw?
WHEN IS THE DRAW? THE draw will be made on December 17, however, no official draw time has been confirmed as of yet. It will take place in Nyon in Switzerland and you will be able to follow the action on the M.E.N. website.
WHO CAN THE MANCHESTER CLUBS FACE? AFTER securing qualification to the knockout stages, the next task is to try to secure top spot in the group.
United must beat Valencia in the final game of Group H and hope that Juventus also fail to win against Young Boys if they are to qualify as group winners.
Meanwhile, if City avoid defeat against Hoffenheim then they will confirm their place as winners of Group F.
All of the group winners are seeded for the draw and can only face a team which has qualified by finishing in second place.
Teams from the same group or country cannot be drawn together at this stage, so there is no chance of a Manchester derby this early on in the competition.
WHEN DO THE LAST-16 TIES TAKE PLACE? THE first-leg ties are staggered for broadcast purposes and so will take place on February 12, 13 or February 19, 20. The return legs will take part on March 5, 6 as well as March 12, 13.
WHICH TEAMS HAVE QUALIFIED SO FAR? Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, City, United, Roma, and Real Madrid. JESSE Lingard was closing him down quickly, no more than a couple of yards away on his left-hand side, while Marcus Rashford was hunting him down on the right, cutting off the easiest passing angle to John Stones.
For once Ederson had nowhere to go. At least that was how it looked. But Ederson always has somewhere SERGIO Busquets admits Pep Guardiola is the only person who could ever tempt him into a move away from Barcelona.
The City manager played a huge part in the rise of the Spanish midfielder and helped transform the player from a youth prospect into one of the finest players in world football. to go. From deep in his own six-yard box he calmly swung his left foot like a pitching wedge, arcing a pass over Rashford and straight to Kyle Walker.
City were now on the attack with three United players out of the game.
It’s just one example of how integral Ederson is to City’s game, but it’s the example former Blues goalkeeper Nicky Weaver picked as he described how the Brazilian had
Guardiola handed Busquets his breakthrough during their spell at the Nou Camp, and the 30-year-old made his 500th appearance for the club over the weekend.
And although the midfielder admits he plans to see out the remainder of his career playing at Barcelona, he confesses he could be tempted to make the switch to City if Guardiola made an approach.
The Spain international was asked taken goalkeeping ‘to another level.’ “In the first few minutes of the game, someone rolled him the ball back and he trapped it under his foot,” Weaver said.
“He’s about two yards off his line in the middle of his goal. There’s a [United] player about four yards away from him.
“He’s clipped it with his left foot over one of the strikers and dropped it into Kyle Walker’s chest at right-back.
“Most goalkeepers would have just hoofed it out of play.
“Occasionally he will get caught but, to watch him... it’s taking goalkeeping to another level.”
Ederson has helped take City to another level as well.
When Pep Guardiola ruthlessly discarded Joe Hart in his first summer in charge and replaced him with Claudio Bravo there were plenty of sneers at the Catalan’s desire for a goalkeeper who can build from the back. Nobody is laughing now.
That early pass against United Tyronne Marshall about the impact Guardiola had on his playing career. “A huge one,” he said. “It’s clear that he knew me (from the B team), that he knew how I was as a player, but the impact was huge.
“He gave me the chance. He had confidence in me.
“He made me part of the best Barca in history, in a team with great players and I learned a lot to be a better player. showed how valuable Ederson can be. Calm on the ball, confident with his passing and happy to wait for the right option, he helps City beat the press, taking opposition players out of the game and starting swift attacks. He can swap the pitching wedge for a driver too, launching the Blues forward. And he’s accurate, with 82.7 per cent of his passes finding their target. That compares favourably with his compatriot Alisson at 79.4 per cent and is well ahead of David De Gea at 54.8 per cent. Speaking of Alisson, surely he must be feeling the pressure from Ederson when it comes to his place in the Brazil squad. The £67m man has already made one high-profile gaffe with his feet for Liverpool this season. Brazil are fortunate to have two of the world’s best goalkeepers to choose from, but the feeling persists they are choosing the wrong one. Alisson again started in the recent friendly win over Uruguay and how
“I said that I would think about it (leaving Barcelona for Pep) and it’s normal that I have him in mind because of his importance on my career.
“I have never seen myself anywhere else.
“The Guardiola thing I said – not because I saw myself anywhere else – but because I should have him in mind, as is normal but I think I will be a one-club man.”