City Keep UCL Hopes Alive with 3-1 Win Over Club Brugge

Manchester City came from behind to beat Club Brugge 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League, keeping their campaign alive. Mateo Kovacic's stunning goal sparked the comeback. Get the latest UCL updates and match highlights.

Manchester City secured a crucial 3-1 win over Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League, keeping their campaign alive. The victory marked a remarkable turnaround, as City came from behind to triumph on the final day of the league phase.

Prior to the match, Manchester City's situation seemed dire, with the 2022/23 UCL winners requiring a win to have any chance of progressing to the knockouts. The match got off to a nervous start for City, as a defensive mix-up allowed Christos Tzolis a clear scoring opportunity, which he failed to capitalize on.

As the first half progressed, desperation began to creep in for City, and their frustration was compounded when İlkay Gündogan's goal was disallowed due to offside. Manager Pep Guardiola's frustration was evident, as he paced back and forth between the technical area and the dugout, clearly concerned by his team's lack of creativity.

The situation took a turn for the worse just before halftime, as Raphael Onyedika scored for Brugge, leaving City with a significant challenge to overcome in the second half. However, Manchester City received a much-needed boost early in the second half, courtesy of Mateo Kovacic's exceptional goal. Kovacic's strike from the edge of the area sparked City's comeback, setting the stage for a thrilling second half.

Man City comeback win keeps them alive in the #UCL 🔵 pic.twitter.com/670kVdYcLl

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 29, 2025

The equalizing goal sparked a renewed sense of urgency in Manchester City, and they capitalized on their momentum just after the hour mark. Josko Gvardiol's cross into the box was inadvertently turned into his own net by Joel Ordonez, completing City's comeback.

With 15 minutes remaining, City had a golden opportunity to put the game out of reach. Erling Haaland found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper but failed to capitalize. In a stunning sequence of events, Savinho's follow-up effort was cleared off the line by Brandon Mechele. Undeterred, Savinho ghosted in around the far post and latched onto John Stones' perfectly weighted pass, slamming the ball home at the near post past Simon Mignolet.

The league phase is complete ✅#UCL pic.twitter.com/8Ix7MvcqI4

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 29, 2025

As the match entered its closing stages, both teams were aware of their secured fate. Brugge, occupying the 24th and final knockout spot, knew they were through, while City was also assured of their progression. As a result, the final moments of the match became somewhat anticlimactic, with City content to maintain possession and Brugge focusing on defending their position.