Hello and welcome to my Live blog for tonight’s Champions League fixture as Manchester City will be taking on Belgian champions Club Brugge. Keep up with this live blog to stay up-to-date with the latest of the action from tonight’s encounter.
Team Lineups
Club Brugge:
Manchester City:
Pre-Match Build-Up
Tonight in the 17:45 kick off, Pro league champions Club Brugge host Premier League champions Manchester City at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges.
The hosts sit one point above the visitors in group A, with both teams needing a win to help boost their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages. Brugge will be looking to continue their momentum after two impressive results so far this campaign, with a draw against PSG and a shock away win against RB Leipzig. Manchester City on the other hand will be looking to bounce back from their last champions league outing, after suffering a 2-0 defeat at the Parc des Princes.
City will need to tighten up in defence if they are to come away with the victory tonight, conceding five goals in the two group stage matches so far, whilst their opposition have only conceded twice.
Match Action
Captains Hans Vanaken and Ruben Dias lead the teams out with the game about to kick off.
17:45 – Kick Off: Both sets of players take the knee and the visitors get us underway.
17:48: Early pressure from the visitors, pressing the Brugge defence when in possession, no attempts at Mignolet’s goal as of yet.
17:51: Jack Grealish seeing a lot of the ball so far in the game, he attempts to take on the Brugge defence and goes down after a tackle from Clinton Mata, the referee says no foul to Grealish’s disbelief.
17:54: Jack Grealish lobs the ball over Simon Mignolet into the back of the net, however the goal is pulled back for a clear foul from the English winger on Clinton Mata.
17:56: Close! Grealish beats the offside trap, plays the ball to the overlapping Bernardo Silva, who squares the ball across the goal in a dangerous area but Balanta does well to put the ball behind for a corner.
17:58: Another goal for City is ruled out, this time for offside after Rodri taps in from a well worked City set piece, but the linesman’s flag is up and VAR confirms the offside call.
18:00: City really putting on the pressure here, as Foden is slipped in behind but can only hit the side netting from a tight angle, City dominant in the opening 15 minutes of the game.
18:04: Brugge are getting numbers behind the ball and are defending as a unit, but this is leaving striker De Ketelaere isolated up top allowing City to regain possession easily.
18:09: Former Angola international Clinton Mata is booked after a late collision on Bernardo Silva. Neither side has managed to get a foothold of the game in the last ten minutes or so, no chances to speak of.
18:12: Phil Foden drives through the heart of the Brugge midfield, slides in Silva who cuts it back to De Bruyne who fails to properly test the keeper from close range.
18:14: Grealish has got in behind the Brugge defence again and has cut it across the box to Foden who somehow can’t make contact with the ball, a very big chance wasted.
18:16 – GOAL: A fantastic over the top through ball from Foden finds Joao Cancelo, who tucks it through the goalkeeper’s legs, into the back of the net. Fantastic goal by City, more than deserved. Club Brugge 0-1 Manchester City (Cancelo 30)
18:18: Aymeric Laporte is shown a yellow card for a foul on Sowah, there didn’t appear to be too much contact in that one, Brugge wastes the free kick.
18:20: Eduard Sobol puts a ball into the City box, Ruben Dias slices his clearance out for a corner. Corner is whipped in and is eventually cleared after Ederson comes out and misses the ball.
18:24: City continue to attack predominantly down their left hand side, through Grealish and the overlapping goalscorer Joao Cancelo, unsurprising considering Clinton Mata has a yellow card and occupies the right side of the Brugge defence.
18:28 – PENALTY: Penalty for City, after some beautiful play from the English side, Mahrez finds himself in the box and N’Soki mistimes his challenge badly and cleans out the Algerian winger, stonewall penalty.
18:29 – GOAL: As cool as you like, the man who won the penalty takes it and Mahrez sends Mignolet the wrong way and tucks into the bottom corner. Game over? Brugge would have to seriously improve to have a chance of getting back into the game. Club Brugge 0-2 Manchester City (Mahrez 43)
18:32: Mignolet has no options on the ball and is closed down quickly by Grealish and can only pass the ball out of play, sums up the first half well, Club Brugge not being able to keep up with Manchester City’s intensity and quality.
18:34: De bruyne plays a great pass into the feet of Phil Foden, who plays a pass setting up Riyad Mahrez who hits it down the throat of the keeper, City quickly retain possession, finding De Bruyne in space who hits it not far over the bar as the referee blows his whistle for half time.
Half Time: City were not at their best but were still easily in control of the match, dominating from the very first whistle. Brugge simply have not been able to keep up with City and have been second best everywhere today and if anything are lucky that it is only two. Half Time: Club Brugge 0-2 Manchester City.
18:50: Both teams are out for the second half, Club Brugge have an uphill battle to get something out of this game and they get us underway for the second half.
18:51: A dangerous ball into the box from Mahrez almost finds Foden in the box before Hendry manages to get the ball away before clattering into Foden, VAR checks for a penalty but the check comes to an end quickly, great start to the second half from the Citizens.
18:57 – GOAL: Fantastic play from City once again, Mahrez finds De Bruyne in space who plays a fantastic ball in behind to find Kyle Walker who slots it into the corner past Mignolet. Both of City’s full backs on the scoresheet, Brugge might be fearing the worst. Club Brugge 0-3 Manchester City (Walker 53)
19:00: Two substitutions from both sides. Ruud Vormer and Ignace Van Der Brempt replace Mats Rits and Kamal Sowah for the home side. Nathan Ake and Ilkay Gundogan replace Bernardo Silva and Aymeric Laporte for the visitors.
19:05: Riyad Mahrez sticks the ball through Eduard Sobol’s legs and Sobol hacks him down. City have a dangerous free kick from just outside the box, but Mahrez fires it way over the bar.
19:08: Raheem Sterling and youngster Cole Palmer are on for the away side for Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden – who has been electric tonight.
19:10: Eder Balanta recklessly jumps into Grealish, leaning in with his arms. The Colombian gets booked for the challenge.
19:11 – GOAL: What a story this is, Raheem Sterling runs in behind, finds Cole Palmer on the edge of the Brugge box, who takes a good first touch and slots the ball into the back of the net with his second ever touch in European football. What a night for the 19 year old. Club Brugge 0-4 Manchester City (Palmer 67)
19:13: Brugge makes another change, Mbemba comes on in place of the previously booked Eder Balanta.
19:15: Cole Palmer is found behind the Brugge defence, chests the ball to Raheem sterling who places his shot well wide. Sterling will be disappointed with the finish.
19:15: Pep Guardiola makes his fifth and final change of the night as Fernandinho replaces Rodri in the heart of midfield.
19:19: Cole Palmer plays a fantastic pass in behind to Kyle Walker and all the full back has to do is simply find Gundogan who is free at the penalty spot but the English international fails to find the German.
19:21: How has he missed? Sterling is found on the left hand side as City have a 3v1 on, Sterling tries to go alone, hits it straight at the keeper and hits the rebound straight into the side netting. That was the finish of a man lacking confidence.
19:23: De Ketelaere finds himself free on the penalty spot and the ball is crossed to him, he guides his header into the bottom corner but Ederson is equal to it, a good save from the Brazilian.
19:24: Brugge use their remaining substitutions for the evening, Bas Dost and Brandon mechele are on to replace Stanley N’Soki and Charles De Ketelaere.
19:26 – GOAL: The home support deserved that goal, the substitute Ruud Vormer does well to pick out Brugge Captain Hans Vanaken who finishes well and slots the ball into the bottom corner past Ederson. The Brugge faithful have been noisy all night despite their team’s struggles, they deserved that goal. Club Brugge 1-4 Manchester City (Vanaken 81)
19:28 – GOAL: What quick response by the Premier League Champions. Fernandinho plays a simple ball over the top to Mahrez who is in acres of space. The Algerian looked miles offside but slots the ball away into the top corner. No flag from the linesman, and the goal stands after a VAR check. Replays show that Mahrez was just onside. Club Brugge 1-5 Manchester City (Mahrez 84)
19:31: Brugge cross the ball into the box to Bas Dost, the Dutch striker fails to convert and puts the chance wide. City go up the other end and yet again another chance is wasted from Raheem Sterling as the ball is squared across the box to him but he fails to make clean contact with the ball, with a bit more quality, this game could be in double figures for the Citizens.
19:34: Four minutes of additional time are signaled by the fourth official.
19:34: This really isn’t Raheem Sterling’s night is it? He is played in one and one and again wasted yet another opportunity as he attempts to put the ball through Mignolet’s legs. That is the fourth big chance that the City substitute has failed to finish.
19:36: City try a corner routine, a long ball is put into the box which finds Mahrez, who puts in a delicate ball in Nathan Ake’s path, but all the centre back can do is head the ball over the bar. Clinton Mata can not continue for Brugge, he is injured and they don’t have any substitutions left, Brugge will have to play the remaining minutes with ten men.
Full Time: The ref blows for full time, it was a fantastic display by Pep Guardiola’s men, who ruthlessly cut Brugge apart all night, if anything, it could have been more than five.A tough night for the Belgian champions, who will have to write it down as a bad day at the office as they were simply beaten by a better team tonight. Full Time: Club Brugge 1-5 Manchester City
Group A remains as competitive and open as ever, with Pep’s side sitting on 6 points whilst Brugge remain sat on four points with away trips to the Etihad and Le Parc des Princes pending for the Belgian side.
Thank you for following my match action from tonight’s game, I hope you enjoyed it and I will see you again soon.
