Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne kicks the ball with Real Madrid's Toni Kroos during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Credit: AP/Dave Thompson

The weekend is already off to a busy start with the UEFA Champions League draw for the knockout phase playoffs, and that's before an exciting batch of matches takes place across Europe. I'm Pardeep Cattry with an end-of-week check-in.

NYON (Reuters) -Defending champions Real Madrid will renew their Champions League rivalry with 2023 winners Manchester City in a blockbuster knockout phase playoff tie after the two teams were pitted against each other in the draw held in Nyon on Friday.