Manchester City demolished to the play-off phase of the Champions League after he came from behind to beat Club Brugge 3-1 and end up 22nd of the 24 qualified teams to secure progress.
With only three victories from eight games, they are confronted with Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the play -offs of February – the price to pay for such a lack of campaign.
The night of the city had started on a worrying fashion when a merchandise-kiosk fell on fire outside the stadium and an exciting second half of the revival was needed to ensure that their European hope was not in flames too.
Pep Guardiola called for “something special” for the game and what he received – at least in the first half – was something very shocking when City had not set up a drive, intensity or shots on goal before he was stabbed on the break by Raphael Onyedika.
City knew in advance – after he had surrendered a 2-0 lead over PSG to lose 4-2 last week – that something different than a victory would send them to an early exit of the competition they won only 18 months ago, But even that could not evoke the urgency needed to hurt Bruges.
Fortunately for Guardiola, all of that changed during the rest when Savinho came up for Lkay Gundogan, making more direct threats and created holes, allowing Mateo Kovacic to drive through the heart of midfield and wipe the level home.
Everything then became a bit easier when Josko Gvardiol the young defender Joel Ordonez forced his own net to turn before Savinho scored a well -processed third, who held a brilliant John Stones Pass, to illuminate all persistent doubts to go with 13 minutes.
Analysis: Savinho has changed the game
Sky Sports' Laura Hunter:
Manchester City stared over the barrel to the peace of Savinho. It made you wonder what he was doing, was in the first place on the couch, to replace a difficult Gundogan. Savinho has now been directly involved in five goals in his last six performances in all competitions.
We often give managers for making substitutions that have game-changing impact, but on this occasion it feels somewhat unnecessary. The start selection of Pep Guardiola just didn't work. He went for experience with liveliness. “The first half we missed the spark helped Savinho to find us,” Guardiola reflected after the game.
Stumbling across the finish line is probably not the best way to fear in coming play – off opponents – real or bayern – but important city are there anyway. Relief will certainly be replaced by fear if that date approaches in February.
Guardiola admits that City 'Not Champions League can win'
Man City Manager Pep Guardiola:
“When I saw the fire before the game, I thought the journalists had all their headlines, that's for sure. We were gone, but now we are going ahead.
“Bruges defend so tightly, they go to man, we need the quality and the spark to take the right action to score – maybe we felt the pressure. In the right moments we got the goals and the new format is Really hard, really difficult.
“In the future, important teams can live what we have this season. It is an incredible lesson for the club, for me first and for the players – nothing is obvious.”
Asked if Man City can still be considered contenders to win this year's Champions League: “At the moment, no. I am so pragmatic, the reality is reality.
“These teams [Bayern and Real] I have more experience than we, if we had to play tomorrow, it would be difficult, but in two weeks I will not know the position we will be. We will prepare well and try, we will see what is happening. “
Hayen proud to qualify
Club Brugge head coach Nicky Hayen:
“Really proud of the way we performed during the group stage. In the first half we were really disciplined tonight, we kept everything compact. We knew that there were opportunities on the back of their defenders and we executed it very well.
“The second half we started to make small mistakes and the city are of world class, they punish you immediately. We try to push every day, we try to have a plan and they are performed in the most perfect way.
“We are pretty happy, we are ambitious and now we can go open in the next round.”
When are the knockout tracts?
To determine who plays who in the knockout rounds, there will be two draw after the competition phase.
The first draw on Friday 31 January at 11 am will determine which of the two options each team will receive in the Knock -Out Play -Ooff. For example, a team that is 13th will discover whether they play against the team that ends 19 or 20th.
Teams (9th-16th) have the second stage at home and those play-off round competitions take place on 11/12 February and 18/19 February.
Teams that are sown from first to eighth must wait until Friday, February 21 to find out their opponents.
That draw will then determine who they are confronted with in the round of 16 and eventually map their entire path to the final.
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