Manchester City handed Champions League inventive by rule change
A view of the draw card of Manchester City FC during the UEFA Champions League 2022/23 Round of 16 draw at the UEFA Headquarters,
Manchester City will be back in the Champions League this season
Manchester City have been handed a clear Champions League incentive after UEFA confirmed changes to the League Phase.
City were knocked out of last season's competition in the play-off round by Real Madrid having struggled to gain a foothold in the newly-expanded competition.
Pep Guardiola's side secured a third place finish in the Premier League on the final day of the season to book a spot back in Europe's premier club competition and will be faced with a subtle change this term.
UEFA have confirmed the new seeding regulations which will reward sides who finish highest in the league phase as oppose to random draws, which was the case last season.
That means the top four teams in the league phase will be at home in the second leg for the round of 16 and the quarter-finals, while the top two sides will also be given that advantage in the semi-finals. If those teams are eliminated, then the side that knocks them out will claim home advantage in the second leg.
It means City can potentially navigate a smoother path in the knockouts should they earn a top two finish in the league phase.
But the benefits of finishing third or fourth are not as substantial, with those sides potentially penalised if they reach the last four and play teams who finished significantly lower than them in the league phase.
Only the sides who finish in the following positions can get a home second leg in the semi-final, courtesy of how the knockout phase draw is done: first, second, seventh, eighth, ninth, 10th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 23rd, 24th.
City already know they will be in pot one for the Champions League league phase draw on August 28.
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Kevin de Bruyne is one of - if not the - greatest players to play for Manchester City.
He leaves the club having won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and a memorable Champions League victory!
To mark his amazing time at the Etihad Stadium, this special edition has been produced - KDB The King - to celebrate Kev's career with the Blues. We look back at his 10 best games in Blue, celebrate his title wins and hear from the City boss and a host of team-mates and football elite who give their views on what makes him so special.
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