Jamie Carragher burst out laughing after hearing who Manchester City could face in the Champions League Round of 16 while on punditry duties with CBS Sports Golazo on Wednesday night. The retired Liverpool defender was lamenting the new format alongside Micah Richards following the conclusion of the final gameweek.
It was another action-packed night of European football: Carragher's former side beat Qarabag 6-0 for their biggest scoreline since 1934, Jose Mourinho's Benfica pulled off a stunning 4-2 win over Real Madrid to qualify for the playoffs at the death, and Newcastle held reigning European champions PSG to a 1-1 stalemate in Paris.
While Wednesday offered a perfect chance to reflect on the concluded league phase, it also provided ample time to look ahead to the knockout stage and who each of the five English teams could face. But Carragher was expecting Pep Guardiola's side to have a much easier tie than they've been afforded.
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Carragher Bursts Into Laughter After Learning Man City's Possible Opponents
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The main issue Carragher has with the new Champions League format is that it seems to make little difference where teams finish - as long as they qualify, their opponents are still a mixed bag of easy and difficult. He used Liverpool as an example: despite finishing top of the league phase last season, they ended up playing eventual winners PSG in the Round of 16.
Arsenal navigated a flawless league phase this term, but their reward is facing one of Borussia Dortmund, Olympiacos, Atalanta, or Bayer Leverkusen. Carragher then turned to Richards to note that Man City usually get a favourable draw, only to burst out laughing when he learned they could face Inter Milan or Real Madrid after finishing eighth. He said prior to that moment of realisation (watch the incident below):
"You know what, I bet you [Man City] have got like... I've never known a team more lucky with draws than Man City in my life. They get to the FA Cup final every year, right? And they just play League Two teams."
The retired defender couldn't believe it when he heard Real Madrid and Inter Milan read out, remarking: "I'll take that, I'll take that" as he burst into laughter with Richards. But Bodo/Glimt, who stunned the Cityzens with a 3-1 win in the Arctic Circle recently, could pose just as many complications, and playing any Jose Mourinho side is never going to be easy, as they could also end up facing Benfica.
Meanwhile, his beloved Liverpool will face either Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge, Galatasary, or Juventus after finishing third with six wins from eight matches.
Man City's Recent Champions League Success Has Been Underwhelming
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For all the domestic dominance Manchester City has enjoyed since the legendary Pep Guardiola took over in 2016 - including six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and four League Cups - you would have expected more continental glory than just a lone Champions League crown.
There’s only so much a club can win at home before the expectation shifts to stamping their authority on the rest of the world. With one of the greatest managers in the history of the game at the helm, and seemingly endless resources to spend in the transfer market, the Cityzens’ Champions League record is surprisingly modest.
Prior to their sole triumph in the competition, they had only reached the semi-final or later in two of Guardiola's six seasons. That said, their treble-winning 2022/23 season remains a breathtaking high point, even if they have failed to go farther than the quarter-final stage since, and will be hard-pressed to do so again this term.