It will be Real Madrid vs. Manchester City yet again in the Champions League — but never as early as this, and for the first time with a Kylian Mbappé vs. Erling Haaland matchup. Two heavyweights who struggled in the new eight-game league phase were the standout pairing Friday in the draw for the new knockout playoffs round.

Premier League power Manchester City will meet La Liga leader Real Madrid in the knockout phase of the 2024-25 Champions League soccer tournament, organizers revealed with a draw Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.

Elsewhere, Celtic will face six-time European champions Bayern Munich, after the Scottish champions reached the knockout stages for the first time in 12 years. Read more at straitstimes.com.