Manchester City will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich after edging into the Champions League play-offs with a fightback versus Club Brugge.
Manchester City have confirmed their place in the Champions League playoffs, but Pep Guardiola has hinted at concerns over the competition’s new format. The City boss admitted he’s not entirely sold on the changes after his side barely scraped through, though he believes the experience has been an “incredible lesson.”
City had to dig deep in Wednesday’s must-win clash against Club Brugge at the Etihad Stadium, as Raphael Onyedika’s strike put them on the brink of a humiliating exit. However, second-half goals from Mateo Kovacic and Savinho—along with a Joel Ordonez own goal—secured City’s place in the knockout rounds for a 12th consecutive season, avoiding an early elimination for the first time since 2012.
Guardiola praised the new Champions League format for the excitement it has generated but also pointed out a major ‘problem’—the increased number of games teams now have to play. The Spaniard also shared his thoughts on Manchester City’s potential clash with either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the playoff round while hyping up his squad’s new signings.
Speaking to the media, Guardiola said:
“I like, as a spectator, how unpredictable this format is. No team is safe, and that’s exciting. But the problem is we play more games in September, October, and November… In the future, big teams could face what we’ve gone through this season. We were 45 minutes away from being eliminated… nothing is for granted.”
“Sometimes, when you’re leading 2-0 or 3-0, you’re scared of losing what you have, and when you’re 1-0 down, you’re staring at elimination with no way back. But we found the goals at the right moment. This was a really, really tough group stage—especially the games against Inter Milan and Feyenoord. But we made it. In two weeks, we’ll be stronger, with key players returning and new signings settling in. Against these two giants—one of them we’re going to play—we’ll see how we measure up.”
City’s Struggles in the League and Europe
Manchester City’s season has been a disaster so far. They finished a disappointing 22nd in the Champions League’s new-look 36-team table, behind clubs like Celtic, Feyenoord, Brest, PSV, and Lille.
Domestically, City’s struggles continue. Guardiola’s men have looked like a shadow of themselves in the Premier League, sitting fourth—12 points behind league leaders Liverpool.
However, Guardiola remains hopeful that the return of key players from injury, along with the additions of new signings Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Vitor Reis, will give City the boost they desperately need in the coming weeks.
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