As the Champions League group stage has now come to a close, Manchester City will be keen to discover who they will face in the last 16.
Despite suffering a 2-1 loss away to RB Leipzig in their final Group A game on Tuesday, the Citizens finished at the summit for the sixth time in the last seven years, one point ahead of Paris Saint-Germain in second place.
Last season's Champions League finalists are now a seeded team for Monday's draw, along with Premier League rivals Manchester United and Liverpool, while Chelsea are unseeded after finishing second in Group H, but cannot be drawn against a fellow English side in the next round.
The three English teams who topped their groups can face six possible opponents in the last 16, and here, Sports Mole takes a look at who Pep Guardiola's side could be drawn against.
Atletico Madrid (Spain)
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La Liga holders Atletico Madrid were on the verge of exiting Europe altogether until three second-half goals helped Diego Simeone's men secure a 3-1 win away against Porto on Tuesday night to snatch second place in Group B behind Liverpool.
The Spanish outfit are well-acquainted with the knockout rounds of the Champions League, having advanced from the group stage in eight of the last nine seasons. This campaign, however, their performances have been below par in Group B, losing three and drawing one of their six group matches, and finishing with a -1 goal difference.
Nevertheless, Atletico – who have never faced Man City in a competitive fixture before – will be considered by Guardiola as one of the more challenging opponents that they could lock horns with.
Sporting Lisbon (Portugal)
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Sporting Lisbon booked their place in the last 16 for the first time since 2008-09, after winning three of their six Group C matches to finish above Borussia Dortmund based on their head-to-head record.
Ruben Amorim's side scored 14 goals in their six group matches, more than any other team who have qualified for the last 16 in second place.
The Primeira Liga champions – who eliminated Man City in the last 16 of the 2011-12 Europa League – will be one of the underdogs heading into the knockout rounds but they cannot be underestimated should the Citizens do battle with them next year.
Inter Milan (Italy)
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Serie A giants Inter Milan – arguably Man City's strongest potential opponents in the last 16 – have advanced from the Champions League group stage for the first time in a decade after finishing behind 13-time champions Real Madrid in Group D.
The Scudetto holders had the chance to snatch top spot at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night, however the Spanish giants claimed a 2-0 win in the final group game to stay at the summit.
Inter, who have never faced Man City in a competitive fixture, were the last Italian team to lift the Champions League when Jose Mourinho's side beat Bayern Munich in the 2010-11 final.
Benfica (Portugal)
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Benfica were tipped to finish third behind European superpowers Bayern Munich and Barcelona in Group E, however they have taken advantage of the woes endured at Camp Nou this season, and a 2-0 win against Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday ensured that they would finish second ahead of the Catalan giants.
An impressive 3-0 victory at home against Barca in September was their standout result, with Man City-linked striker Darwin Nunez scoring a brace to down the five-time European winners.
The Eagles, who are competing in the knockout rounds for the first time in five years, will be considered one of the more favourable teams that the Citizens could face, along with fellow Portuguese side Sporting.
Villarreal (Spain)
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Nearly 24 hours after Wednesday's fixture in Bergamo was postponed due to heavy snow, Villarreal eventually booked their place in the knockout rounds when they claimed an impressive 3-2 victory away against Atalanta BC.
The Yellow submarine finished second in Group F behind City's crosstown rivals Manchester United, with Unai Emery guiding the La Liga outfit into the last 16 for the first time since 2008-09.
Villarreal last faced the Citizens in the 2011-12 Champions League group stage, losing both home and away fixtures by an aggregate score of 5-1.
Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)
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One surprise package of the Champions League group stage has been Red Bull Salzburg, who became the first Austrian team to qualify for the knockout rounds when they beat Sevilla 1-0 on Wednesday night to seal second place in Group G.
Matthias Jaissle's youthful squad claimed 10 points from their six group matches, and have also made a strong start to their Austrian Bundesliga campaign, sitting 12 points clear of their nearest challengers and on course to claim their ninth successive title.
Salzburg's only previous appearances against Man City were in the 2010-11 Europa League group stage, with the Citizens winning both encounters by a 5-0 aggregate score.
Oliver Thomas
