Manchester City averted disaster but their obvious frailties are a cause for concern
Manchester City averted disaster but their obvious frailties are a cause for concern
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Manchester City 3-1 Club Brugge: Pep Guardiola’s men came from behind to triumph at the Etihad Stadium and secure their place in the next round. A manager defined by finishing first may never be so relieved to come 22nd. Pep Guardiola was 45 minutes from abject humiliation. Twenty months after winning the Champions League, Manchester City were on course to be cast out of it. Embarrassment was on the agenda.
![[Mateo Kovacic equalised for City after they went behind in their must-win clash with Club Brugge]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/29/22/20/Champions-League-Manchester-City-v-Club-Brugge-x0a756i0.jpeg)
It was averted. Unconvincingly, laying bare more of their flaws, City nonetheless salvaged a play-off place. A comeback forged by Croatians, requiring an own goal but sealed by Savinho, meant they will now face one of the superpowers of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
![[Savinho was an electric presence and scored City’s third goal to secure the win]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/29/21/01/FBL-EUR-C1-MAN-CITY-CLUB-BRUGGE-afd5ejb7.jpeg)
For the second time in five days they came from behind to win at the Etihad Stadium. And yet, even as they ultimately prevailed in their game of brinkmanship, this was a fraught affair. City went in at the interval a goal down to Club Brugge: having kicked off in the unfamiliar territory of 25th place, they had contrived to reverse into 26th. On a night when only victory would suffice, they added Brugge to the minnows of Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague in a select band they have beaten in this group stage. None finished in the top 20, which tells a tale in itself.
They were dragged through in part by managerial intervention, even if Guardiola was only correcting his initial mistake by bringing on Savinho, in part by players who reacted to ponderous mediocrity by taking it upon themselves to drag their side onwards.
