José María Sánchez to referee UEFA Champions League clash between Manchester City and Club Brugge in League Phase | OneFootball

Manchester City face a UEFA Champions League ‘final’ this week as Club Brugge travel to the Etihad Stadium on matchday eight of the league phase.

Three defeats and a draw in City’s last four matches in the competition have thrown their chances of qualification into the last-16 into serious doubt, lying in 25th position coming into the final match of the opening stage of the tournament.

A 4-1 defeat to Sporting, a 3-3 draw with Feyenoord, and a 2-0 loss at Juventus was most recently followed up by Paris Saint-Germain scoring four goals in succession at the Parc des Princes after Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland had initially put the visitors ahead.

Manchester City have strengthened their squad roster at the midway stage of the season in order to ensure that they see an up-turn in performances and results between now and the end of the campaign.

However, as was the case when the Premier League champions travelled to the French capital on matchday seven, all of Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, and Omar Marmoush will be ineligible for City in a huge match this week.

Now, as preparations intensify from all parties ahead of the meeting between Manchester City and Club Brugge, UEFA have announced the list of match officials to oversee proceedings at the Etihad Stadium!

Match Referee

UEFA have confirmed that 41-year-old official, José María Sánchez will oversee proceedings between Manchester City and Club Brugge from the role of match referee at the Etihad Stadium.

The 41-year-old referee will be taking charge of his fourth contest in the UEFA Champions League so far this season, having handed out 15 yellow cards, one second yellow card dismissal, and awarded two penalties in those previous outings.

María Sánchez has only taken charge of one Manchester City match in his career prior to meeting up with the Premier League champions once again this week, having overseen the club’s 1-3 away win over Copenhagen last campaign.

Pep Guardiola and his players took a crucial advantage from the last-16 first-leg tie in the Danish capital thanks to goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and Phil Foden, and bookings for the Copenhagen manager and two of their defenders in the process.

Assistant Referees

Accompanying María Sánchez on the field at the Etihad Stadium will be fellow Spanish officials, Raúl Cabañero and Iñigo Prieto, who have been appointed as assistant referees for the meeting between Manchester City and Club Brugge.

Video Assistant Referees

As for those overseeing proceedings from the VAR centre on Wednesday night, and continuing the all-Spanish team of match officials, will be Alejandro Hernández as Video Assistant Referee and Carlos del Cerro Grande in the role of Assistant Video Assistant Referee.

Fourth Official

Standing between the two dugouts at the Etihad Stadium and ensuring that all is kept in order involving Pep Guardiola and Nicky Hayen’s sides will be the appointed fourth official, Cesar Soto Grado.