Thibaut Courtois expecting another Champions League showdown between Real Madrid and Manchester City | OneFootball

Thibaut Courtois has hinted that a Champions League last-16 showdown between Real Madrid and Manchester City is all but inevitable.

Speaking after Madrid’s 2-1 (3-1 aggregate) play-off victory over Benfica on Wednesday night, the Belgian goalkeeper addressed the prospect of his side facing Man City once again.

“We all know it will be Man City on Friday at the draw! Everyone knows that.” Courtois remarked.

Should Courtois’s prediction prove correct, it would be the fifth consecutive season that the Spanish giants and English champions have faced off in the knockout stages—and a second meeting this campaign, following a 2-1 win for Pep Guardiola’s men during the league phase.

While Courtois appears confident about Madrid’s next Champions League opponents, Alvaro Arbeloa’s men could also be drawn against another Portuguese side in Sporting CP, having just dispatched Benfica.

Currently sitting second in the Premier League and La Liga respectively, City and Madrid are both chasing domestic and European honours, with two league fixtures apiece before their return to continental action.

Friday’s draw in Nyon will map out the potential route to Champions League glory for every remaining team as the competition reaches its tipping point.

The last-16 first legs will be played on March 10 and 11, with the return legs taking place one week later on March 17 and 18.