Real Madrid test, Kompany reunion, battle of Britain - best and worst Man City Champions League scenarios
Manchester City have a job to do on the pitch on Wednesday night before they can think about what comes next in the Champions League.
The Blues must beat Club Brugge at the Etihad to secure a top 24 place in the expanded Champions League and with it a spot in the play off round. City's European form has been poor this season with just two wins in seven matches.
It's left Pep Guardiola's side battling to progress in a competition many would have fancied City to win at the outset. Three points against Brugge will secure a two-legged tie against a side who finish between ninth and 16th in the table.
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That seeded spot is beyond City, who will finish no higher than 19th, and as things stand the permutations for who Guardiola's men could come up against are vast. But some are more likely than others and here's the best and worst case scenario for City next month should they overcame the Belgians this week.
Giants to avoid
There are some European heavyweights struggling to secure automatic qualification to the last 16. Liverpool and Barcelona have done enough while Arsenal and Inter Milan need only a draw to be certain of a top eight place. Atletico Madrid and AC Milan are overwhelming favourites to qualify directly while Bayer Leverkusen's kind final matchday fixture at home to Sparta Prague leaves them well placed.
Atalanta are perhaps the most vulnerable of the current top eight given they travel to Barcelona on Wednesday but the Italian outfit would represent a stern test for City. They are reigning Europa League holders so well versed in knockout football while they sit third in Serie A with just four domestic defeats.
Below that and City would like to avoid a meeting with Spanish giants Real Madrid. The two have plenty of recent history and the La Liga leaders knocked Guardiola's side out of the Champions League last season while they are four points clear at the top in Spain.
Bayern Munich, managed by City great Vincent Kompany, would be another testing opponent even if they have been found wanting on occasion in Europe this season. The Bundesliga giants again lead the way in Germany and have an array of talent who could cause City problems.
Those two are the main names to avoid but Juventus have already beaten City once this season and could be possible opponents while a tie with Premier League rivals Aston Villa would also see a meeting with a team who have defeated the Blues this term.
Major opportunity
The good news is that there is plenty of sides in Champions League mid-table positions who would hold no fears for City, especially over two legs.
French side Brest are eighth domestically and in their first Champions League campaign while compatriots Lille are fifth in Ligue Un. Neither should hold too many concerns for City
Feyenoord may have stunned the Etihad in coming from three down to draw earlier in the competition but a two-legged tie with the Dutch club would represent a decent chance of progress. If City were handpicking their play-off opposition it would likely be one of those three. Other realistic potential opponents for City are Monaco, Borussia Dortmund and Celtic.
