Man City 3-1 Club Brugge: Match report & talking points from Cityzens' crucial comeback | OneFootball

Manchester City will compete in next month's Champions League knockout play-off round after beating Club Brugge 3-1 on Wednesday night.

Defeat in Paris last week left City requiring victory against the Belgian side to avoid an unthinkable premature elimination from the competition they won less than two years ago. The early signs were concerning, but Pep Guardiola tinkered in the second half and the hosts eventually prevailed with some comfort.

Brugge gave a good account of themselves in Manchester, and they'll also be involved in the play-offs after Stuttgart were thumped 4-1 by Paris Saint-Germain.

How the game unfolded

"We need to find a way out and I think we are going to manage that," Josko Gvardiol insisted on Tuesday, suggesting City's domestic focus had played a major role in their continental slip-ups.

This was a big night for the Cityzens, who knew that only three points would do against a Club Brugge side unbeaten since October. The atmosphere inside the Etihad Stadium, however, reflected that of a dead rubber. Tension was in the air from the outset, with a pindrop heard on the sky blue side of Manchester during the opening ten minutes.

Club Brugge, who knew a point would surely be enough, sat in a 6-4-0 block at times but broke with numbers at speed. Their outlets in wide areas caused problems early, with City struggling to get a grip on proceedings. The hosts stabilised after the opening exchanges but were huffing and puffing in their quest to break down a compact Brugge defence.

After Ilkay Gundogan had a goal ruled out for offside, City's best moments arrived in transition after Brugge giveaways. Simon Mignolet wasn't tested in the opening period, and the visitors, having weathered a rather tame Cityzen storm, not only broke with vigour towards the end of the first half, but had joy in beating City's press with slick build-up sequences.

Their excellent opener on the stroke of half-time truthfully didn't come as much of surprise, with Brugge breaking swiftly from the edge of their box, beating Matheus Nunes with ease down the right before Raphael Onyedika superbly finished Ferran Jutgla's cutback first time.

Guardiola had to deliver something special during the interval with City dire and heading out of the competition.

Savinho's half-time introduction was no surprise and there was almost an immediate response from the hosts in the second period. Somehow, though, John Stones failed to convert from close range. His miss was swiftly made up for by Mateo Kovacic, who burst through Brugge's midfield and finished coolly from the edge of the area to restore parity.

While City's possession play improved markedly, they remained distinctly vulnerable to Brugge's counter-attacks and the Belgian side came close on a couple of occasions to regaining the lead before the hour mark. The third goal of the contest was scored by a man in blue and black, but Joel Ordonez converted Gvardiol's cross into his own net to hand City the lead.

The hosts then itched for relief, and it eventually arrived with left than 15 minutes remaining as Savinho added a third. The Brazilian chested down Stones' pinpoint ball in behind expertly from finishing beyond Mignolet.

That was the goal City needed, and they retained possession for ten minutes without interruption to see out the contest.

Check out Man City 3-1 Club Brugge player ratings here.

Half-time changes aid turnaround

Savinho scored City's third / Molly Darlington/Copa/GettyImages

While the Etihad atmosphere is often latched upon by opposing supporters as a stick to beat the dominant Cityzens with, it usually bursts into life under the lights on the big occasion.

However, there was no sense that this was a game City had to win in the first half. Supporters were either too tense to test their vocal cords, or so expectant of victory that they assumed noise wasn't required.

The flat atmosphere manifested on the field as a one-paced City struggled against a resolute Brugge block. John Stones offered little in midfield, while Phil Foden's intricate presence was missed between the lines. Shunted out wide, he struggled to have much of an impact.

Guardiola's change at half-time proved key in City's eventual victory, with Savinho replacing the ineffective Ilkay Gundogan. The Brazilian added a change of pace to their attacking play and an ability to beat his man one-on-one. Foden moved into a central position where he had more joy, while Stones dropped out of his hybrid role.

Savinho was no dominant force in the second half, but he produced two key moments which saw City over the line. His clever pass for a surging Josko Gvardiol led to the hosts' second before he killed the game with a ruthless touch and finish. Savinho was teed up by Stones, who progressed with the ball from a deeper position and supplied a Rodri-like switch to the burgeoning winger.

Superior threat out wide combined with slicker dynamics in central areas sparked the hosts' necessary revival in the second-half.

Angry Guardiola

Guardiola endured all the emotions on Wednesday night / James Gill - Danehouse/GettyImages

With his team 1-0 down at half-time after a fairly meek first half showing, Guardiola was staring down the barrel of his first ever group stage/league phase elimination.

The manager was playing for his pride here, and his exterior manifested that of a man who was feeling every single emotion on Wednesday night. While not always the coolest cat, the Spaniard ventured into the realm of anger at times as his side attempted to book their place in the play-offs.

There was the typical apathy and water sip after Brugge took the lead, but bursts of emotion as City turned things around in the second half. There was despair as Erling Haaland and Savinho failed to add a third, and distinct relief and a nod to those in the stands when the Brazilian eventually killed the game.

After City scored a third, Guardiola, who'd earlier been booked for remonstrating with the Spanish fourth official, was finally able to relax. There was time to make up with his compatriot and shake hands prematurely with Brugge manager Nicky Hayen as his team circulated the ball around with ease to conclude the contest.

He'll be thrilled to get this one over with, but a monster challenge is set to arrive next month.

Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the next phase

Man City could face Real Madrid in the play-off round / Stu Forster/GettyImages

While City will be relieved to squeak into the play-offs and prolong their continental journey, supporters would've quickly learned that Bayern Munich or Real Madrid await in the next round.

They have ultimately been punished for finishing a lowly 22nd following three defeats.

Friday's draw will decide which behemoth they'll face, with neither team a desirable option. Bayern were semi-finalists last year and are currently top of the Bundesliga by a comfortable margin. Madrid, meanwhile, struggled through the league phase but finished in style and have found their groove in the new year.

The holders' miracle-working ability in this competition, as City have discovered in recent years, means Guardiola would perhaps prefer a duel with his former captain, Vincent Kompany, over two legs. Bayern are the lesser of two evils for the Cityzens.