Man City vs Club Brugge LIVE: Hosts qualify for Champions League knockout rounds with win solid win
Man City 3-1 Club Brugge: Pep Guardiola’s side had to win to stay in the competition
Manchester City pulled off a great escape to qualify for the Champions League play-off round on tense and nervous evening at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s men came into the match sitting 25th in the league and knew that only victory would be enough to send them into the knockout rounds. Club Brugge, fighting for a place in the next stage themselves, set up with a low block and frustrated City from the start.
The visitors were also lightning quick on the counter attack and were the more threatening side in the first half. Ardon Jashari sent them ahead on the break with a fine first-time strike and City needed to respond.
Pep Guardiola brought on Savinho who was electric and direct. After Mateo Kovacic equalised with a fantastic individual effort, Savinho played a hand in the next two goals – firstly setting up Josko Gvardiol to force in an own goal before bringing down John Stones’ cross and slotting home himself.
With a two-goal cushion, the players, the fans and the manager relaxed and City – by the barest of margins – got the job done.
Relive the updates from the Etihad Stadium in our live blog below:
GOAL! Man City 1-1 Club Brugge (Mateo Kovacic, 53')
That was coming too!
It’s brilliant from Mateo Kovacic who collects the ball on the halfway line and runs through the heart of Club Brugge.
The defenders fall away from him as he takes the ball to the edge of the box before rolling it into the bottom left corner.
Man City 0-1 Club Brugge
52 mins: Mechele heads away a bouncing ball but is drops to Mateo Kovacic.
His shot is blocked but City recycle the ball and pick out Phil Foden.
Foden nips to the left and shoots but blazes the ball over the top.
Man City 0-1 Club Brugge
51 mins: City are already playing with more pace and intensity.
They’re a handful when they begin to click properly and a goal will bring belief with it.
Man City 0-1 Club Brugge
48 mins: Chance!
Another corner is played short this time and the ball comes back to De Bruyne.
De Bruyne lifts the ball into the box where John Stones leaps up and nods the ball wide!
Man City 0-1 Club Brugge
46 mins: Savinho’s first involvement is to win a corner for City.
De Bruyne puts the ball into the box but the defenders head it away.
City has less than 45 minutes to score two goals and get through.
Can they do it?
Second half! Man City 0-1 Club Brugge
City get the game restarted at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola has made a change at half-time with Ilkay Gundogan hooked off in favour of Savinho.
'It's juts got worse for City'
“It's just got worse for City.
“Unbeaten at home in Europe since 2018, they find themselves 1-0 down to a club who have never won in England.
“But Brugge had posed a threat on the counter-attack and had seemed to be targeting the makeshift right-back Matheus Nunes.
“It paid off for a goal that could set up one of the great results in Brugge's history, though not City's.”
HT Man City 0-1 Club Brugge
HT Man City 0-1 Club Brugge
A reminder that Club Brugge are unbeaten in 20 games.
City need to score twice, without conceding, to win this game and sneak into 24th place.
They are currently 26th and are heading out of the tournament at the first stage.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments