MANCHESTER — Manchester City overcame an almighty first half wobble as substitute Savinho turned the tide and saved the English champions from Champions League elimination at the hands of Club Brugge.
The 2023 champions, who needed to win to reach the top 24 and knockout playoffs, had been on the brink of elimination at half time after Raphael Onyedika had slammed home an impressive counter to give Brugge a deserved lead. However, goals from Mateo Kovacic and the sparkly Savinho either side of an own goal secured a win for City while results elsewhere ensured that the visitors remain alive in the competition too.
How much longer City’s involvement will be is an open question with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich their potential opponents in Feburary. Certainly, a repeat of their first half today will make for trying times in the days ahead.
From their first two touches of the game, it was apparent what Club Brugge’s plan would be. Brandon Mechele lofted the ball high, deep and right into Matheus Nunes’ zone. They would keep hammering away at the City right from then on. No wonder, the results were pretty consistent. Inside three minutes Christos Tzolis was bursting into space, his low cross teeing up Chemsdine Talbi for a shot blocked by Josko Gvardiol.
After a slow start, City soon managed to impose their possession game on Club Brugge, setting up camp right on the edge of the penalty area. Kevin De Bruyne’s return to the starting XI had seen Guardiola drift towards the 4-4-2 system with which he had won this competition in 2023 and there were flashes of that great side, none more so than when Ilkay Gundogan ghosted into the penalty area to drive into the bottom corner. The linesman’s flag spoke to how this team needs an extra yard they didn’t 15 months ago.
The same was apparent when Club Brugge tried to build from deep. There was simply no juice in the City press and though the visitors darts into the opposition half were infrequent, they tended to create peril. A goal for the visitors felt no less plausible than one for the hosts and it duly came just before the interval.
A cute shimmy by Ferran Jutgla down the left flank left Nunes locked onto a shadow. He carried on to the byline, his cross deflecting off Manuel Akanji to sit up perfectly for Onyedinka to strike home. Moments later Guardiola was storming down the tunnel. Something had to change.
Enter Savinho, replacing Gundogan to give City a touch more blow-by-ability. Within moments he was forcing a corner, the Etihad bellowing off its nerves. Half of the ground thought John Stones had started the fight back when his header drifted wide. Then Phil Foden went close.
Spaces were opening up as Club Brugge sagged. When Kovacic saw one, aided by De Bruyne’s decoy run, he did not hesitate. From the halfway line he kept on going unaccosted. That gave him more than enough time to spot the space Simon Mignolet was leaving him and roll the ball in.
Pursuing the winner they needed, City were still leaving gaps for the Belgians. Jutgla and Hans Vanaken so nearly combined to beat Ederson moments after the equaliser; even after City’s second chances came. This was not a side intent to settle for the small margin defeat that would take them to the last 24.
It was what they would get. A fine pass from Savinho unleashed Josko Gvardiol on the overlap, his cross getting Joel Ordonez in a tangle from which he could only turn the ball into his own net. For the third, Savinho simply cut out the middle men, driving into the area to claim Stones’ ball over the top with an elegant first touch. The second wasn’t too shabby either as his shot flew under Mignolet.
With that City had avoided oblivion. Still, Madrid and Bayern lie in wait. This may have been more postponement than cancellation.
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