Manchester City vs. Club Brugge: UCL Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Get ready for an exciting UCL match between Manchester City and Club Brugge with our in-depth preview, odds analysis, and prediction. Stay ahead of the game with our expert insights.

author-image
Daniel A.
Updated On
New Update
Manchester City vs. Club Brugge: UCL Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Manchester City vs. Club Brugge: UCL Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Wednesday night's match at the Etihad Stadium matches Belgian side Club Brugge against Manchester City, who are in danger of being eliminated from the Champions League at an extremely early stage.

Pep Guardiola's squad dropped out of the top 24 after last week's shocking loss to Paris Saint-Germain, but the away team is still in the hunt for a playoff position after a scoreless draw with Juventus.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

This week's possibilities for Man City are straightforward. If they win, they will advance to the Champions League round 16. However, their European odyssey will come to a halt at the first hurdle, regardless of the outcome.

It seemed like Guardiola's squad was going to have a blast on matchday seven in Paris. Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland scored in the second half within three minutes of each other, breaking out of their fall slump.

But on their field, PSG—who are also vying for a spot in Europe's top tournament—pulled off an incredible comeback, with goals from Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Joao Neves, and Goncalo Ramos, destroying the Citizens.

The outcome of Man City's upcoming match against Club Brugge, who are currently in 20th place with a worse goal differential, is still up in the air. The only way a win against AC Milan could not be sufficient is if 26th-placed Dinamo Zagreb also defeated AC Milan with a score of 11 goals or more.

While more bizarre occurrences have occurred in the lovely game, Guardiola's squad can rest easy knowing that a win on Wednesday would ensure advancement. They have not lost a home Champions League match in the past 33.

Even though Manchester City still has time to accomplish their incredible Premier League five-peat, they were just too excellent for Chelsea in Saturday's 3-1 win. It's the eighth game in a row where Manchester City scored twice or more.

On Wednesday, Man City will go all out to get a vital three points, but they could run into a parked Club Brugge bus instead. Even a draw at the home of the Premier League winners would guarantee the 20th-placed visitors a place in the playoffs.

Nicky Hayen's squad can pull off such a feat; on matchday seven, they defeated Juventus, one of the teams that have previously beaten Man City in the league round, putting them in a position to qualify for the knockout stage.

The visitors' incredible undefeated run continued on Saturday with a 1-1 draw against KV Kortrijk in the Jupiler Pro League after that hard-fought tie. They have now gone 20 matches without loss in all competitions.

Additionally, Club Brugge is in striking distance of Genk at the top of the Jupiler Pro League. They have defeated Juventus, Aston Villa, Celtic, and Sporting Lisbon in the previous four Champions League matchdays, although they haven't gone five games undefeated in the European Cup since 1976–77.

In the 2021–22 group stage, Man City thrashed Club Brugge 5-1 and 4-1; Guardiola's side must now reproduce these wins or face a humiliating elimination. This makes for unpleasant reading in the head-to-head column for Belgians as well.

Manchester City vs. Club Brugge Team News

Ruben Dias had a new abductor injury in Man City's defeat to PSG, adding to the long-term injuries to Oscar Bobb (leg fracture) and Rodri (ACL). Nathan Ake (muscle) is questionable, while Jeremy Doku (unspecified) will also not play.

In Dias's absence, recruit Abdukodir Khusanov had his Premier League baptism against Chelsea. However, his debut was a disaster. He made the mistake that allowed Noni Madueke to score the first goal three minutes into the match, and he is now ruled out of this encounter.

While Khusanov is injured, the seasoned John Stones will return to the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Omar Marmoush and Vitor Reis are in a similar situation, while Savinho and Kevin De Bruyne are fighting for playtime upfront.

Meanwhile, Club Brugge has only one major worry heading into Wednesday's match. Captain Hans Vanaken was sick enough to miss the draw over the weekend and is also questionable about going to Manchester.

Maxim De Cuyper, who has been linked to Arsenal, has created 14 chances this Champions League season—the joint-most of any Club Brugge player since 2003–04—and the visitors will desperately want Vanaken back for matchday eight when he is expected to regain his rightful place in the starting lineup.

While Simon Mignolet, a 36-year-old former Liverpool goalkeeper, serves as the last line of defense, Christos Tzolis, a former Norwich City winger, will play off the left flank and has an equal tally.

Our Predictions

Manchester City to win & Under 3.5 goals @ 2.23 on Sky247.ng

Belgian Giants Club Brugge has been easy to beat in the Champions League lately, so they may sit back and soak up the pressure, knowing that a point would suffice.

But a frantic Man City should find a way through, and their guests shouldn't react either, as Guardiola's squad extends their Champions League excursion for a little longer due to fears over Vanaken's health.

Elevate your betting experience with SKY247 Nigeria. Join now and discover a thrilling world of sports, live events, and exclusive bonuses. Bet with confidence on your favorite teams and games.

Manchester City