Manchester City climb to the top of Group A in the Champions League after emphatic win against Club Brugge

Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)

Man City replaced Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Group A after demolishing Club Brugge 4-1 at home while the Parisians drew 2-2 away to RB Leipzig.

Brugge must be sick of the sight of Man City, having lost 5-1 at home in a similar fashion.

The first 15 minutes of this game must have felt like 90 minutes for the Belgian outfit. Waves and waves of City attacks saw Phil Foden eventually taking one of the many chances to make it 1-0 to the Citizens.

To be fair to Brugge, they responded well to the early setback and caught City out just after Foden’s goal. The ball bounced around the box, which saw Ederson make a good save, but it was smashed back across goal and cannoned off of John Stones who was left red-faced as Club Brugge tied the game up at 1-1.

Unbelievably, the visitors held onto the scoreline until the half-time interval but City came out determined to finish the brave Belgium side off and Riyad Mahrez put the finishing touch to a great move in the 54th minute to make it 2-1 to the Citizens. This time there was no coming back for Brugge.

City could smell blood with Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling coming on with 20 minutes to go to add fresh legs. It did not take the latter too long to get in on the goal-scoring act as a ball was flashed across goal and he was there to tap it in at the far post to make it 3-1. The former put the icing on the cake with the last kick of the ball in injury-time as he set the scoreline a 4-1 in the hosts’ favour.

The victory means City now only require a single point from their remaining two group games to secure a place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League for the ninth successive season. Sounds easy but one of those two games is against Lionel Messi and PSG.

However, attention for City will now quickly turn to the small matter of the Manchester derby this Saturday afternoon, which brings with it the chance to go second in the Premier League.

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