Pep Guardiola acknowledged the significant challenge ahead for his Manchester City side as they prepare to take on either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the Champions League play-offs. The Premier League giants narrowly avoided an early exit from the competition after staging a comeback to defeat Club Brugge at the Etihad Stadium.
The defending champions found themselves in trouble when Raphael Onyedika fired the Belgian side into the lead just before the half-time whistle.
Had the result remained the same for the entire game, City - who were sitting outside of the top 24 teams in the competition - could have been eliminated from the Champions League. However, they responded swiftly after the break, with Mateo Kovacic surging forward and placing a composed finish into the bottom corner to level the score just eight minutes into the second half.
The turnaround continued nine minutes later when Joel Ordonez inadvertently turned the ball into his own net. Savinho then sealed the victory with a late goal, ensuring City's place in the play-offs. Pep Guardiola acknowledged the significant challenge ahead for his Man City side in Europe. The Premier League giants narrowly avoided an early exit from the competition after staging a comeback to defeat Club Brugge. Reflecting on his team's performance, Guardiola acknowledged their sluggish start but praised their second-half improvement.
Despite their relief at advancing, the road ahead is daunting, with Guardiola's men set to face one of two European powerhouses. If everybody comes back, we can compete. Reflecting on his team's performance against Club Brugge, Guardiola acknowledged their sluggish start but praised their second-half improvement. The first half was so academic, we didn't have the spark to do it against a team that defends really well.
