Savinho kneels in celebration after putting Manchester City

Man City Survive Brugge Scare, Set Up Blockbuster Tie Against Bayern or Real Madrid

Manchester City came dangerously close to a Champions League disaster but turned things around in the second half to see off Club Brugge, booking a high-stakes showdown with either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.

Pep Guardiola’s side were sluggish and uninspired in the first half, sleepwalking towards an embarrassing exit. Brugge, sensing City’s vulnerability, struck just before halftime through Raphael Onyedika after Ferran Jutglà left Matheus Nunes for dead and delivered a pinpoint cross. The Etihad fell silent as nerves crept in.

Raphael Onyedika fires past Ederson to put Club Brugge ahead

But City woke up after the break. Mateo Kovacic took charge, driving through the heart of Brugge’s defense and drilling a low finish into the bottom corner.

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The equalizer injected life into both the players and the fans. Then came the turning point Josko Gvardiol’s low ball forced Joel Ordóñez into an own goal, shifting the momentum completely.

Brugge didn’t fold, with Christos Tzolis continuing to cause havoc on the counter. Guardiola even earned a yellow card for protesting an offside decision.

But the visitors couldn’t capitalize, and City sealed the win when Savinho, the halftime super-sub, controlled a diagonal pass and rifled his shot past Simon Mignolet.

It wasn’t vintage City, and the defensive fragility remains a concern. But in knockout football, survival is what matters. Their next challenge? A true test of their European pedigree against one of the continent’s biggest giants.

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