Real Madrid and Manchester City now know the cost of failing to perform in the reshaped Champions League: a titanic win-or-bust clash between the last two European champions simply to claim a place in the Round of 16. Welcome to the Champions League Playoffs!
After the nail-biting conclusion of the competition's first League Stage, some of Europe's biggest clubs have unexpectedly found themselves facing a two-legged knockout fixture to reach the Round of 16.
And while Man City vs. Real is the undoubted tie of the round, fellow heavyweights Bayern Munich, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and last season's Europa League winners Atalanta must also negotiate tricky ties to make it into the next round.