Match Report and Player Ratings: Manchester City 3-1 Club Brugge (UEFA Champions League) | OneFootball

Manchester City’s 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign remained alive and kicking after a second come-from-behind 3-1 victory in just four days, this time against Club Brugge on Wednesday night.

A fire blazed outside the Etihad Stadium before kick-off but the Blues could not muster so much as a spark in the first-half, going a goal down on the brink of the break when Raphael Onyedika finished off a flowing Brugge break.

The threat was real that the 2023 winners were crashing out of the Champions League at the first stage, but goals from Mateo Kovacic, a Joel Ordonez own goal and Savinho got them out of jail and into a last 16 play-off.

Manchester City went flying out of the blocks on the pressing front but Brugge’s feathers were unruffled and they played a few early openings, most notably when the hosts needed Josko Gvardiol to block Christos Tzolis’ shot inside the penalty area following a quick, flowing move.

The Blues seemed to identify that they were being broken on too easily and played safer in possession for the rest of the opening quarter of an hour, going closest in that time with an audacious Phil Foden long shot wide and an offside Ilkay Gundogan goal.

Chances were beginning to fall for Manchester City; flicked passes from Gundogan then Erling Haaland freed Kevin de Bruyne to bear down on goal, but the defence was gaining and his left-footed shot was rushed and high.

But City were looking more frenetic in their attempts to score as the half wore on, and as soon as control dissipated, they left themselves open to counter-attack sucker-punches; defensive midfielders Kovacic and Gundogan combined to create a shot in the area which was blocked, and Brugge ran straight through vacated space to tee up Onyedika to score from the edge of the area.

An early goal in the second half would have gone a long way to reducing the Blues’ rears and they ought to have had one when Kevin de Bruyne floated the ball in from a short corner, but John Stones transpired to miss his header with a huge target to aim at.

The energy was already different in the Etihad though, and Kovacic seized on it to equalise; he picked up the ball in the centre circle, started running and didn’t stop until it came time to pass an effort into the bottom corner.

Brugge were equally reinvigorated though and twice went close to instantly regaining the lead, only for Ederson to deny Jutgla and Tzolis, before the latter dragged another shot a whisker wide of the post.

And the misses proved costly for the Belgian champions because the English champions went up the other end and scored; substitute Savinho picked out Gvardiol in the half-space, and the Croatian’s drilled cut-back was steered into his own net by Ordonez.

City were looking to put it beyond doubt from there and should have done when Haaland robbed the ball on the edge of the box, but Simon Mignolet spread himself to deny the forward, and Savinho saw his follow-up blasted off the line by Ordonez.

But the Brazilian wasn’t to be denied for long, brilliantly taking a long pass from John Stones into his stride and smashing through Mignolet for his first-ever Champions League goal and to ease any nerves that still remained in the Etihad.

There were a few chances to add to the lead from there but both teams were safely into the play-off by then, and City played it out to face Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the next round for their troubles.

For now, here’s how we rated the individual players in Manchester City’s crucial European victory over Club Brugge!

Player Ratings

Starting XI

Ederson – 7.5

Stayed sharp despite some lengthy periods of inactivity. Swept up when he had to and made some decent stops too.

Matheus Nunes – 7

Another action-packed outing at right-back, supporting Bernardo Silva tirelessly. Was beaten far too easily for Brugge’s goal.

John Stones – 8.5

Pep Guardiola implied in the build-up that the 30-year-old wouldn’t be re-adopting his old midfield role for this one, but clearly nobody told the Barnsley Beckenbauer! Drifted wherever he pleased on the pitch to accommodate his team’s possession play, even getting assists for Kovacic and Savinho.

Manuel Akanji – 7.5

Has been criticised recently for switching off when defending his penalty area, but aside from an unlucky touch on the cross leading to Brugge’s opener, was flawless in his concentration.

Josko Gvardiol – 8

Continued his great recent form in advanced zones. Doubled up with Phil Foden and forced the winner with his movement and class.

Mateo Kovacic – 7.5

Remained vulnerable when facing quickly-breaking opponents, but did his job on the ball with the flourish of an exceptional equalising goal.

Ilkay Gundogan – 5.5

Picked for his on-the-ball qualities to help control possession, and he did that. That approach made City totally toothless in the first half though, and his flaws were laid bare when Brugge opened the scoring by running straight through his area of the pitch. Hooked at half-time.

Kevin de Bruyne – 7.5

So often the man to make the difference on the big Champions League nights, de Bruyne was crucial in different ways tonight as he selflessly led the press and used his free role to pop up all over the attack and exchange passes.

Bernardo Silva – 6.5

Struggled to make proper inroads into the Brugge defence, but never gave up having ceded possession.

Erling Haaland – 6.5

Couldn’t make the most of his half-chances or the one big opening afforded him, but did some decent work when dropping into deeper positions.

Phil Foden – 6.5

Didn’t get any change out of Joaquin Seys. Comfortable in possession, outside of putting in some easily-claimed crosses.

Substitutes

Savinho – 8.5 (MOTM)

Seemingly lost the trust of his boss when he was withdrawn at half-time in Paris last week, but if there was any way to get back in Guardiola’s good books, Savinho did it tonight. Came on and lifted the team and the stadium with his positive play, having a hand in the winner and scoring the third himself.

Rico Lewis – N/A