Manchester City advanced to the Champions League playoff knockout round after defeating Club Brugge 3-1 on Wednesday at Etihad Stadium. As a result, Pep Guardiola retains his record of advancing from the competition’s first round in each of his managerial seasons.
City controlled possession in the first half but created no clear-cut chances, although Ilkay Gündogan did score from an offside position. Guardiola’s team gained momentum in the second half, with Mateo Kovacic scoring in the 53rd minute after a solo run through Brugge’s midfield. Later, Josko Gvardiol found space on the left side of the box and deflected the ball off Joel Ordóñez into the net. Savinho, who came off on the bench to spark the comeback, scored in the 77th minute to seal the win.
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City’s European campaign this season included a number of uncharacteristic falls apart, beginning with a 4-1 defeat at Sporting CP, which was coached by now-Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim.
They were stung in the final moments of the half when Brugge counterattacked, and Raphael Onyedika finished smoothly after outstanding play from Ferran Jutglà on their left wing. Arsenal and Aston Villa both won, finishing in the top eight and advancing directly to the rounds of 16, as did Atlético Madrid. Lautaro MartÃnez earned a hat trick for Inter Milan in their victory over AS Monaco. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich won their final two games against Brest and Slovan Bratislava, respectively, but will share the same fate as City in the playoffs after slow starts to their continental seasons.
