Key events
Oh Marcus, how did it come to this?
You were the future once.
Elsewhere, Raheem Sterling has just missed a penalty, Arsenal 2-1 up in Girona; Liverpool still trail the now-10-man PSV; and Morgan Rogers has just put Villa 4-2 up against Celtic, completing his hat-trick in the process.
Scott Murray has all the details, and much more.
City, we’re told, will – as things stand – meet Real Madrid or Bayern Munich next. This is the opposite of what this new format was seeking to achieve – meaningless matches between rich clubs good, early knockout meetings bad – but that’s the thing, isn’t it? However hard bad people try to make it worse, it’s so bloody wonderful it still comes up smelling of liniment.
Well that was fun. Biggup Brugge, who were really good for 45, and well done City for righting themselves and, once they started playing, getting it done in short order.
FULL TIME: Manchester City 3-1 Club Brugge
It was close for a bit, but City were too good in the end. They’re into the playoffs, and as soon as it’s over in Stuttgart, Brugge will be too.
90+1 min The Brugge fans are absolutely having it, PSG sending them through; City have had possession for 10 straight minutes.
90 min I was wrong: City can get Madrid in the playoff, Bayern too. One additional minute.
88 min My 11-year-old has just visited to advise that I’ve forgotten to tuck her in. She must be exhausted.
86 min Savinho has been excellent since coming on, his desire to commit defenders a lot of what was missing before half-time. He and Gvardiol could form a pretty useful partnership.
84 min Looking like Real Madrid v Man City in the playoffs….” fantasises Ian Sargeant, but sadly Uefa and the rich clubs don’t work that way. I don’t think that’s possible, though the official explanation couldn’t be more obfuscating.
82 min City knock it about dead slowly. They’ve have feared the worst at half-time, but as soon as they added pace out wide, allowing them to get more pace through the middle, and sped up their passing and movement, Brugge couldn’t handle them.
80 min I get why he did it, but Hayen’s changes killed this game for his team. Still, they’ve been very impressive, both tonight and across the piece; whoever gets them in the playoffs will have a serious contest to address.
GOAL! Manchester City 3-1 Club Brugge (Savinho 78)
First he changed the game, now he’s finished the game. Stones snaps a gorgeous pass from middle to left and Savinho collects on the charge, chesting from outside the box into the box, Skortas forlornly trying to haul him back. Then, as the ball drops, he hits it well enough, close enough to the keeper so that he can’t get hand to feet, and that is surely that: City will be in the playoffs.
74 min On the touchline, Guardiola is going through it. It must be very weird, and also amazing, having him as your boss.
73 min Haaland menaces Jashari and wins it high, galumphing into the box, opening his body … and telegraphing a finish that Mignolet saves. But the ball bounces out to Savinho, on the edge, who passes firmly goalwards … only for Mechele, who’s played extremely well, to slide into a match-saving block!
72 min At Villa Park, a mixed few minutes for Ollie Watkins. First, he puts Villa back in front at 3-2; second, he slips while taking a penalty, sending the ball into his standing foot and nowhere near goal. Join Scott Murray for more.
71 min Triple change for Brugge, which perhaps shows how Nicky Hayen is thinking. He removes his three strikers, Talbi, Tzolis and jutgla, to send on Vetlesen, Vermant and Skoras. He might just be thinking about the weekend match away to Antwerp.
69 min Hold tight Brugge, who are still giving it plenty. Talbi finds space down the right, shifts it to create a shooting lane, and hammers towards the near post, forcing Ederson to make the save. The corner comes to nowt.
67 min City were so soporific in the first half and they’re back playing slowly now, but I’m not sure about that. If they don’t score again, they might find themselves hauled back; if they keep trying to score, they could win by two or three.
65 min Brugge will know they’re as good as through, so it’ll take a lot for them to find an equaliser here. But if they can stay in the game, City will get nervous, and the gaps at the back will remain.
GOAL! Manchester City 2-1 Club Brugge (Ordonez own goal 62)
Down the left, Gvardiol finds Savinho and goes in behind for the return, his mate nipping inside to create time and angle before jabbing a cunning pass with the outside of hit foot. So Gvardiol leathers a low cross and young Ordonez, hitherto excellent, gets the fear sliding in and sending the ball past Mignolet though Mechele is covering behind him. As things stand, both sides are going into the last 32, and Guardiola’s half-time change and lecture has changed this game.
59 min But here come Brugge again! Tzolis collects Vanaken’s backheel when Nunes misses with his slide, nashing through the middle and turning inside to pilfer a yard from Akanji, before sliding a shot back the way he came … just wide of the post. The visitors look like scoring every time they attack!
58 min De Bruyne tries an outswinger, but Mechele is stronger than Gvardiol and heads clear; City collect the loose ball and go again, De Bruyne thrashing a low shot that Mignolet shoves away.
58 min City win another corner, this time down the right…
55 min But City are again caught on the counter, Tozlis again rampaging through the middle and holding on to the ball, back to goal inside the box, as Gvardiol holds him around the waist. He lays back to Vanaken from almost on the ground, but by this time Ederson is right on top of him to block … then the flag goes up, but there was no offside. Meantime, on the touchline, Guardiola pogos about asking for someone to be booked. This is pleasingly frantic now.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-1 Club Brugge (Kovacic 53)
This is very competently done. Kovacic picks up the ball on halfway and surges through the centre, no one attempting to unload him so, from 20 yards, he threads a precise, considered effort, through Ordonez’s legs and past the unsighted Mignolet. It’s been coming.
52 min And here he is, found by Bernardo after Mechele blocks desperately and taking a touch before lashing high.
50 min There’s a bit more energy about City now and, with Savinho out wide, Foden’s able to roam centrally. And, though he’s best renowned for his skill at pace, he’s also got a terrific instinct for where the ball’s going to drop in the box, so that should be a good change.
49 min If Brugge’s number 8 scores, we’ll need a CITY CAN’T FIND TZOLIS headline.
47 min City win a corner, easily cleared, then Savinho earns another which goes short to De Bruyne. He comes inside, teases a delectable ball into the middle, and YE’VE GOTTAE SCORE! Stones lets it hit his head, cushioning back whence it came … and wide of the post! That’s the best chance City have had, by far, and though they ought now to be level, the ease of creation and change of impetus suggests there’ll be more along shortly.
46 min We go again, Savinho on for Gundogan as we speculated. City have 45 minutes and change to save their season.
Half-time scores
Aston Vila 2-2 Celtic
Barcelona 0-0 Atalanta
Levekrusen 1-0 Sparta Prague
Bayern 1-0 Slovan Bratislava
Dortmund 2-0 Shakhtar
Brest 0-1 Real Madrid
Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 Milan
Girona 1-2 Arsenal
Inter 2-0 Monaco
Juve 0-1 Benfica
Lille 2-1 Feyenoord
PSV 3-2 Liverpool
Salzburg 0-3 Atlético
Sporting -1 Bologna
Sturm Graz -3 PSG
Young Boys 0-0 Cervena zvezda
Gosh, PSV now lead Liverpool 3-2! Your half-time scores are coming up..
City have, I’m afraid, been very poor tonight; they’ve had loads of the ball but created nothing, deficient in ideas, zest and physical power. Brugge, on the other hand, have been strong, organised and enterprising, well worth their lead for their disciplined defending and direct counter-attacking. A fair bit needs to change for this match to change.
HALF-TIME: Manchester City 0-1 Club Brugge
City need to score twice – at least – or they’re going out. With PSG 3-0 up in Stuttgart, Brugge are as good as there.
GOAL! Manchester City 0-1 Club Brugge (Onyedika 45)
Now then! Mechele breaks up a City attack, challenging Gundogan, and Vanaken breaks through the middle, finding Jutgla, who diddles Nunes as easily as we feared, slides a low pass to the far side of the box, and Onyedika punishes a finish low inside the near post! The warning signs were there and City are in deep!
44 min Harvey Elliott has put Liverpool ahead in Eindhoven; likewise Ethan Nwaneri for Arsenal in Girona – and that goal is worth a look-in.
