Thursday’s briefing: Manchester City do just enough to reach play-offs
Thursday’s briefing: Manchester City do just enough to reach play-offs
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Manchester City scraped into the Champions League play-offs and Liverpool finished at the summit despite losing to PSV Eindhoven. Aston Villa sank Celtic to finish in the top eight and go straight through to the last 16, but Villa’s Ollie Watkins was the target of a bid by Arsenal.
The Gunners were also winners, 2-1 in Girona, to finish third in the new-look group phase. City survive scare. City kept their Champions League campaign alive as they overturned a half-time deficit against Club Brugge to snatch a place in the play-off round.
The 2023 winners had been in danger of missing out on the knockout stages for the first time since 2012-13 after falling behind to a Raphael Onyedika strike in their must-win clash at the Etihad Stadium. They hit back after the break through Mateo Kovavic before an own goal from Joel Ordonez and a further strike from substitute Savinho carried them to a 3-1 win.
Villa win battle of Britain. Morgan Rogers hit a hat-trick and Watkins showed exactly why Arsenal want to sign him as Aston Villa went through to the last 16 of the Champions League after a 4-2 win over Celtic. Villa needed to win and hope other results went their way to avoid a play-off round and they looked like they would hold up their end of the deal with ease as Rogers scored twice in the opening five minutes.
But Celtic, who were guaranteed a spot in the play-off round before kick-off, hit back before the break with two Adam Idah goals in two minutes. Watkins put his side ahead, though, as he broke his Champions League duck on the hour before Rogers’ third at the death sent Villa through.
