“Real Madrid, with all the weight their shirt holds, shouldn’t be in the playoffs too” - Manchester City star makes big claim ahead of playoff clash

Manchester City winger Savinho has claimed that neither the Cityzens nor Real Madrid should be playing in the knockout playoffs of the UEFA Champions League. The two European giants will lock horns in a two-legged battle for a place in the last 16.

The UEFA Champions League's new league format sees the top eight teams qualify for the Round of 16 directly. Teams finishing from ninth to 24th will have to win the knockout playoffs to qualify further.

Teams like Real Madrid and Manchester City, who have dominated European football in recent years, both failed to secure automatic qualification. Los Blancos only managed to secure the 11th spot while Pep Guardiola's side finished 22nd.

Now the last two Champions League winners will collide with each other and only one will remain in the competition. Savinho has admitted that Manchester City should not be where they are and the same goes for their opponents. The Brazil international said, as quoted by Madrid Xtra:

“I think that we, as Man City, cannot be in the playoffs. We should get to the next round in a more convincing way. It’s also worth mentioning that Real Madrid, with all the weight their shirt holds, shouldn’t be in the playoffs too, with all respect to other teams.”

Real Madrid are 15-time winners of the Champions League which is by far the record. Manchester City, on the other hand, won the competition in 2022-23 and finished runners-up in 2020-21. The two teams have faced off each other 12 times till date, with Los Blancos winning thrice and the Cityzens winning four times.

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Manchester City eye ambitious move for Real Madrid superstar: Reports

Manchester City are reportedly plotting an ambitious move for Real Madrid's crown jewel Jude Bellingham. As reported by Football Transfers, the Cityzens view the England international as the replacement for Kevin De Bruyne.

De Bruyne is widely regarded as arguably the greatest player to have graced the Manchester City shirt. Since his reported £55 million move from Wolfsburg in 2015, he has been the Sky Blues' creator in chief and one of the best players in the world.

With the Belgium international's contract expiring this summer, he has been tipped for an exit from the Etihad in the summer. If he leaves, Pep Guardiola is reportedly ready to go all-out for Bellingham.

However, a deal for the English superstar is highly unlikely as Bellingham is thought to be happy at Real Madrid. He joined the Spanish capital club in 2023 and has become a key player for Carlo Ancelotti's side.