Man City survive Brugge scare to scrape into play-offs

Manchester City survived a huge scare as they scraped into the Champions League play-offs with victory over Club Brugge at Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions knew only victory would suffice to avoid the abject embarrassment of slipping out of the top 24 places in the tournament’s new format.

And they were left facing that grim prospect after Raphael Onyedika gave Club Brugge a shock lead as he turned in Ferran Jutgla’s cross just before half-time.

City needed a response with tension mounting, duly providing it against a Belgian side who showed enough to fully deserve their place in the play-offs.

Mateo Kovacic drove low past former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet eight minutes after the break before Joel Ordonez turned Josko Gvardiol’s cross into his own net as City finally exerted a measure of control.

City settled nerves even more when Savinho scored with a low shot that crept in past Mignolet at his near post as Guardiola was finally able to contemplate further progress in the competition Manchester City won in 2023.