Manchester City were just about able to avoid the all too familiar perils of the Champions League knockout playoffs, by finishing eighth in the league phase with a win in their final match.
Victory over Club Brugge on the final day of the league phase last season saw them squeeze into the top 24, but a two-legged affair against 15-time winners Real Madrid greeted them with a place in the last 16 at stake. They were comprehensively beaten.
