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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Matt Smith

Champions League knock-out rules: Away goals, two legs and quarter-final draw

Manchester City return to UEFA Champions League action tonight when Pep Guardiola's side face RB Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena in the first leg of their last 16 tie.

Off the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest, a result which set them back in the Premier League title race, City will be looking to respond by taking one step closer towards winning the only trophy that has painstakingly evaded them during Guardiola's reign.

Progressing past the German outfit, however, will prove no easy feat. Under former Borussia Dortmund boss Marco Rose, Leipzig eased out of Group F, finishing well clear of Celtic and Shakhtar Donetsk and just one point behind winners Real Madrid.

READ MORE: Every word from Pep Guardiola ahead of RB Leipzig vs Man City

Spearheaded by a threatening attacking unit which includes the likes of Chelsea-bound Christopher Nkunku and former Blues forward Timo Werner, City risk being punished if they dip below the required level of Champions League performance.

With the game getting underway at 8:00pm GMT, US-based supporters will be able to watch the action at 3:00pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) or 12:00pm Pacific Standard Time (PST). Here is a lowdown of everything you need to know about the formatting of the tie.

How many legs are there?

Champions League knockout ties require both teams to play at home and away, meaning there are two legs. With City topping their group, they have earned the advantage of playing the second leg on home soil.

Does the 'away goals' rule apply?

No, it does not. This will be the second consecutive year that European competitions have been played without the 'away goals' ruling and so in the event of a draw after 180 minutes of football, extra-time and penalties will be required.

When is the quarter-final draw and how does it work?

The draw will take place on Friday 17 March at 12:00pm CET (6:00am EST, 3:00am PST). Paths to the semi-final and final will also be completed on the same day.

The quarter-final phase is also the first time in the competition that clubs from the same nation can be drawn against one another.

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