Despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to RB Leipzig in their final Champions League group stage game, Manchester City progressed to the last 16 of the competition as winners of group A.
Finishing in pole position means that City will be drawn against a group runner-up in the next round, so in theory should receive a kinder draw than if they had finished second.
Question is, who do we want them to get? Here at City Is Ours , we have each made our case for who we would like to see Pep Guardiola's men come up against when the competition resumes in February.
Dom Farrell - Atletico Madrid
Right, I know you probably think I've taken leave of my senses, but hear me out.
Of course, Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid and their cackling dark arts might represent the very worst tie on paper for Guardiola's smooth stylists.
But it's an absolutely irresistible match up. The clash of styles would throw up an endless array of sub-plots.
Also, the whole point of the European Cup is it dares you to be great. City agonisingly fell at the final hurdle last season, but they are quietly amassing quite the array of scalps in the continent's top competition.
Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Erling Haaland's Borussia Dortmund have all been dispatched by the Premier League champions in the past 18 months. Back in Guardiola's first season at the helm, the Barcelona of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar had a chastening night at the Etihad Stadium.
It would be great to add a win over Atletico - one of the defining sides of this era but not quite the force they once were - to that resume.
Also, Guardiola and Simeone are two giants of the modern game and we have been denied them pitting their wits against one another for too long.
Pep has faced Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino frequently, his jousts with Thomas Tuchel have been fascinating lately and the diminished Jose Mourinho remains his eternal rival.
But Simeone was just getting his Atletico up and running during Guardiola's final season at Barcelona in 2011/12 and they have not met since the incredible 2015/16 Champions League semi-final, where Bayern Munich pounded away at the immovable Atleti object and had their pockets picked.
Give me straightforward draws in domestic cups all day long, but in the Champions League, I want glory and heroism. A clash of titanic contrasts against Atletico - Guardiolisme v Cholismo - guarantees that.
Alex Brotherton - Inter Milan
In a similar vein to Dom, I think the knockout stages of the Champions League should be about titanic match-ups and epic battles - nobody is going to hold fond memories of City smashing a Europa League level side 6-0 on aggregate.
Another attraction of the Champions League that made City fans envious for years and years is the chance to play glamorous and historic teams in fantastic stadiums.
That is why I would like City to draw Inter Milan in the last 16.
City have faced their fair share of European heavyweights in recent years - Barcelona, Bayern and Real Madrid to name a few - but they have avoided both of the Milan clubs, two of football's most iconic teams.
The tie would also give City the chance to play a big game at the San Siro stadium before it is demolished. No, a group stage game against Atalanta in 2019 does not count.
A meeting with Simone Inzaghi's side would by no means represent a meeting of current giants - while Inter won Serie A last season, their squad was depleted over the summer thanks to financial struggles.
However, the replacement of key players with new faces has added another sub-plot to this potential meeting: a reunion with Edin Dzeko and Aleksandar Kolarov.
Both have joined Inter in the twilight of their careers, so this tie could be the last chance for the Etihad Stadium crowd to give them the appreciation they perhaps didn't when they played in sky blue.
Ross Jackson - RB Salzburg
Right, now we've all stopped dreaming about glamour ties and reunions with old pals, I'll add some common sense to the equation.
I totally understand the theory that the Champions League is all about memorable nights and titanic battles between Europe's heavyweights, but can we not leave said clashes to the later rounds?
While you can't help but applaud RB Salzburg's achievement of making it through to the knockout rounds, one look at their opponents in Group G tells you they've not exactly had the toughest of tests.
Matthias Jaissle's side were pitted against Wolfsburg and Lille, both of whom are looking like mid-table finishers in their respective domestic leagues this season, and while Sevilla are flying high in La Liga, we all know the only reason they qualify for the Champions League is so they can finish third in their group before going on to win the Europa League.
City have been linked with a move for exciting forward Karim Adeyemi in recent weeks, and a meeting with Salzburg would afford Guardiola the perfect opportunity to see the youngster in action.
Look, I'm not saying I wouldn't be very excited if City were drawn against an Atletico or an Inter, but I'd much rather see Guardiola's side safely through to the quarter-finals before we start dreaming about welcoming the big boys to the Etihad Stadium.
Who do you want City to face in the next round? Follow the City Is Ours team - Ross Jackson, Dom Farrell and Alex Brotherton - on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
