Manchester City squeezed through to the Champions League play-off round with a 3-1 comeback win against Club Brugge.
Even though they had to win to progress, familiar issues were visible in the opening 45 minutes, a period in which City made 399 successful passes but failed to record a single shot on target. Brugge, in contrast, looked relentlessly dangerous on the break, and took the lead through Raphael Onyedika on the stroke of half-time.
City were considerably more energised after a presumably heated 15-minute debrief and a goal from Mateo Kovacicthen an own goal from Joel Ordonezfollowed later by a strike from substitute Savineturned the game — and City’s group phase campaign — around.
Sam Lee and Thom Harris analyse the key moments from the match.
The latest iteration of the ‘have-City-turned-the-corner-o-meter’
Before this match, Guardiola refused to give his thoughts on the idea of City failing to beat Brugge, instead staying positive and insisting that he team would do the job. And he was right to!
He will no doubt be in the same mood having seen his team seal the deal at the Etihad, especially after coming from behind to do so, but the fact that they will now face a two-legged play-off against either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid to make the last 16 hardly seems a fitting reward. The first leg is only in two weeks’ time, the second leg (away) is a week later.
(James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
The City ‘turned-the-corner-o-meter’ is all over the place at the moment so it is hard to tell exactly how good or bad they will be from one game to the next, given they were trailing at half-time and staring at a damaging league-phase elimination, and with Guardiola’s positive outlook in mind, now might not be the time to rain on the parade.
But it is fair to say that City’s problems of the last few months are likely to get a probing or two by either of those European giants. Bayern’s own fragility would make for a fascinating tie, though.
Sam Lee
Savinho helps turn the game
Much of City’s improvement in the second half came as they carved out a channel down Brugge’s right-hand side. Nineteen-year-old full-back Joaquin Seys was starting just his 26th first-team game, and while none of City’s goals were by any means his fault, he struggled to deal with the more direct attacking duo of Savinho and If the gvviool as the game wore on.
(Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
Phil foot started on that side for the hosts — a position he recently said he found difficult for England at the Euros — and struggled to get at his man with Brugge doubling up on the flanks. Savinho, a natural on that side, having racked up nine assists from the left for Girona last season, instantly looked more comfortable running Seys, the space often opened up by more unpredictable forward running from Gvardiol behind him.
There have been flashes of brilliance throughout Savinho’s stuttering start for City — his pressure-relieving goal, alongside his two assists against West Hamare shining highlights — but increasingly there is little doubt that the Brazilian is at his best on the left.
Thom Harris
Another see-saw Kovacic performance
It is tempting to say that Mateo Kovacic is a curious player after watching another see-saw performance, but in reality he is just not the midfielder that City need in Rod’s absence.
That is not news to those who have watched a lot of City this season, but this was another fine example of how Kovacic’s talents can earn him the plaudits at one end and land him in trouble at the other.
(Dan istitene/getty images)
In the first half, he drove forward and picked out Ilkay Gundoganbut in the very act of that driving, he left a huge space behind him, which Brugge exploited on the break to get their opening goal. Not long after half-time, Kovacic did exactly the same thing but this time had a shot that found the bottom corner — which was lucky because there was a pretty big space behind him again.
The 30-year-old is a good player but the lone holding midfield role does not suit him at City, as his natural instincts — and the things that he is very good at — take him away from the areas that he needs to protect. He has not been helped this season, nor on the night, by ageing legs around him, but he certainly played his part in this eventually chaotic evening.
Sam Lee
City’s stodgy first half brings back bad memories
It won’t have been a surprise to many that this quickly turned into a stodgy game of attack vs defence, but after the end-to-end thrill of their Premier League win over Chelsea on the weekend, a forgettable opening 45 minutes felt like a return to the laboured, defensively-fragile City of old.
Guardiola predictably tweaked things following that breathless game on the weekend, opting for more control in the build-up. Gvardiol and Matheus Nunes were reined in from their marauding full-back roles, positioned either side of Manuel Akji with City in possession, while John Stones jumped into midfield alongside Kovacic. Bernardo Silva and Foden were the players out wide, safer on the ball and more comfortable dropping into midfield to keep things ticking over when things got tricky in the middle. It was only when Gvardiol was given more freedom to attack down the left — even if they still were vulnerable on the break — that City were able to make headway in the second half.
The problem, as has often been the case this season, is that Brugge were prepared to defend compactly to deny City any space, often dropping into their penalty area in a 6-4 shape — blocking passes into midfield and covering the width of the pitch. There were scenes reminiscent of that 2-2 draw with Arsenal earlier in the season, centre-backs inching forward and looking like they’d be better off shooting themselves.
City looked bereft of ideas — their best chances arriving after they nicked the ball up high — failing to keep a shot on target throughout the first half. They were also brittle on the counter, the defensive line too high when they lost the ball on the edge of the box. The visitor’s goal, featuring a misplaced pass and an air tackle from an out-of-position full-back, was an all-too-familiar sight; just 14 seconds between Brandon Mechele’s intervention and Onyedika’s strike.
It’s difficult to inject dynamism, pace, and attacking unpredictability into a game so tight on space, but the harder City try with Guardiola’s more ‘controlled’ approach, the easier they seem to make it for their opponents to hit back. The contrast to the energy and urgency of much of the second half was stark.
Thom Harris
What did Pep Guardiola say?
The City boss talked positively about the Champions League’s new format after his side’s win. “I would say I don’t like it because we suffered a lot, but I like it! As a spectator, in the last game, how many things, nobody is sure, important teams can be out, and it’s nice!
“The problem is we played more games, and when you are not fit or ready you suffer like we suffered. And in future, the important teams will live maybe what we lived this season.
“Or maybe not because the team maybe will realise, ‘Oh my god! If you are not aware already from the beginning, we can be out!'”
Guardiola would not be drawn on who would be a tougher opponent in the play-off round. “Real Madrid or Bayern Munich; one is the king of the competition, the other one is maybe the second or third king of the competition…”
What next for Manchester City?
Sunday, February 2: Arsenal (away), Premier League, 4.30pm GMT, 11.30am ET
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(Header photo: Getty Images)
