Champions League drama: Manchester City claw back to advance to knockout round playoffs
CNN
Manchester City scored three second half goals to come back from the brink of elimination and advance to the UEFA Champions League’s inaugural knockout round playoffs following a thrilling 3-1 victory over Club Brugge on Wednesday night.
Manchester City scored three second half goals to come back from the brink of elimination and advance to the UEFA Champions League’s inaugural knockout round playoffs following a thrilling 3-1 victory over Club Brugge on Wednesday night. In a win-or-go-home situation, Manchester City struggled to create many chances early on, failing to register a single shot on target in the first half. Things went from bad to worse in the final moments of the first half when Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika netted his first career goal in the competition to give his side a stunning 1-0 lead. Needing two goals to avoid elimination, City’s John Stones nearly equalized in the opening minutes of the second half, heading Kevin De Bruyne’s curling cross just wide of the post. City’s Mateo Kovačić then leveled the scores in the 53rd minute, picking up the ball near midfield, driving straight through the middle of the Brugge defense and slotting the ball into the bottom left corner. Less than 10 minutes later, fans at Etihad Stadium were sent into an uproar and invigorated with hope following an own goal by Club Brugge after Gvardiol’s low cross was inadvertently directed into the net by Joel Ordóñez to give City a 2-1 lead.