Pep Guardiola cut a frustrated man at the top of a frustrated club on a night of relief for Man City in the Champions League, writes JACK GAUGHAN
Pep Guardiola cut a frustrated man at the top of a frustrated club on a night of relief for Man City in the Champions League, writes JACK GAUGHAN
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Questions were flying around the WhatsApp groups of Manchester City supporters on Wednesday morning centred on the importance of this, Club Bruges at home at the end of a very kindly drawn eight-game group stage. Slovan Bratislava, Inter, Sparta Prague, Sporting Lisbon, Feyenoord, an unfancied Juventus, a transitional Paris Saint-Germain. It was not exactly a nightmare fixture list for City to navigate their way towards the 11 points required for qualification into the playoffs.
![[Guardiola was animated in his technical area on a night with huge Champions League stakes]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/23/94660563-0-image-a-29_1738194036405.jpg)
And yet, the question was: other than finals, when was the last match as big as this? Forget the answers, that any City fan was even contemplating that spoke volumes for their season and the tension – a crippling fear of embarrassment – sweeping through the Etihad Stadium said more than enough too.
![[Mateo Kovacic (right) scored the equaliser and two more goals for City followed to win it 3-1]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/23/94660551-0-image-a-32_1738194130612.jpg)
Pep Guardiola regularly waved his arms theatrically, hugged the edge of his technical area throughout like a winger. He raced to retrieve one throw-in, accidentally chucking it at Bruges boss Nicky Hayen's backside in his haste. Head in hands as John Stones headed wide, flailing as Matheus Nunes sold himself short to allow the visitors to manufacture the opener. His angst lived every moment.
![[There was a smile come the end of the night for Guardiola but there was plenty of anxiety prior]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/23/94660619-0-image-a-30_1738194120348.jpg)
Pep Guardiola's touchline frustrations summed up the kind of frustrated club Man City are now. Guardiola was animated in his technical area on a night with huge Champions League stakes. A nervous energy gripped the manager, gripped his players, gripped the crowd on a night that had started with a merchandise stall on the forecourt catching fire – smoke billowing into the Manchester air, two fire brigade units called to the scene and for a minute, a potentially delayed kick off.
