Manchester City

Full time whistles have been blown across Europe.

Manchester City's 3-1 victory over Club Brugge books their place in the knockout play-off phase, where they will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Tell us your thoughts on City's performance here

Come back to this page on Thursday to find a selection of your replies

All four English teams take part in Wednesday's Champions League action.

• Aston Villa v Celtic

• Girona v Arsenal

• Man City v Club Brugge

• PSV v Liverpool

All kick-off times 20:00 GMT

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown and BBC Sport's John Bennett join Ben Croucher on The Football News Show to discuss why they feel the revamped Champions League format has been a success and why we should be excited by the final round of group games on Wednesday.

Watch The Football News Show on iPlayer

Henry Brownsey
BBC Sport journalist

Not many people would have predicted Manchester City would need a win in the final group stage game to qualify for the Champions League play-offs.

But after two wins, two draws and three losses, that is exactly what they need.

If they win at home to Club Brugge they go through. Anything else, and they are eliminated.

Here's how they have got to this point.

Image source, Getty Images

City started their campaign with a 0-0 home draw against Inter Milan.

In a repeat of the 2023 final, City dominated possession and took 22 shots, creating 2.35 xG - but faced a stubborn Inter side and had to settle for a point.

Image source, Getty Images

Pep Guardiola's side then got back on track, with the type of victories fans have become accustomed to - a 4-0 win in Slovakia against Slovan Bratislava and 5-0 at home against Sparta Prague, which included some Erling Haaland acrobatics.

They moved third in the table and seemed well set to make a bid for automatic qualification through to the last 16.

Image source, Getty Images

However, City then travelled to Portugal to take on Ruben Amorim's Sporting side, and, despite taking a fourth-minute lead through Phil Foden, a hat-trick from former Coventry striker Viktor Gyokeres helped condemn City to a 4-1 defeat.

Image source, Getty Images

Three weeks later, they blew a three-goal lead at home to Feyenoord.

Ilkay Gundogan and an Erling Haaland double had put City in a comfortable position against the Dutch side only for Feyenoord to find three goals in the final 15 minutes to rescue a 3-3 draw.

Image source, Getty Images

This was followed by consecutive defeats - 2-0 to Juventus at the Allianz Stadium and 4-2 to PSG - another game where City relinquished a lead.

Fortunately for City, despite what has been a wretched Champions League campaign, qualification remains in their hands.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Not since the 2012-13 season, when Sir Alex Ferguson was still Manchester United manager and Roberto Mancini was in charge, have Manchester City exited the first phase of the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola has never had that experience in his entire managerial career. But that is the fate which awaits if they fail to beat Club Brugge at Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola did not react well in his press conference yesterday when asked if going out would be an 'embarrassment'.

"Ask me the question after," he said. "Thank you for your concern but after the game I will answer you."

He had already said: "I think we will do it."

City have spent £123m on three transfers of senior players this month, none of whom can play against Club Brugge this evening.

They do not have any problems meeting current Profit and Sustainability regulations as they have sold so well over the years.

However, there will be a financial hit if they fail to make it through.

The winner of the tournament will get around €25m (£20.95m) and clubs reaching the last 16 will receive €11m (£9.22m) in prize money alone.

It is a hefty sum to miss out on.

"I didn't speak with my CEO about that," Guardiola added. "I would say the budget is positive but I'm not naive enough to know how important this competition is financially for the club.

"But we want to try and go though for sporting reasons."

Listne to full commentary of Manchester City v Club Brugge on BBC Radio 5 Live from 20:00 GMT

Image source, Daily Express, Daily Mirror and Daily Star

With Manchester City's crunch Champions League game against Club Brugge on Wednesday night, it is no surprise to see boss Pep Guardiola leading the newspaper back pages.

The Daily Express have focused on City's need to win to remain in this season's competition, while the Mirror and Star highlight Guardiola's belief that his side can get the three points they need.

The requirement for City is simple - now, they just have to do it on the pitch.

Manchester City are interested in signing Juventus and Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz, 26, on loan, but the Serie A club want to insert a purchase obligation clause in any temporary deal. (Mail, external)

City midfielder James McAtee, 22, is no longer a target for Bayer Leverkusen, with the Bundesliga side set to sign Argentina playmaker Emiliano Buendia, 28, from Aston Villa. (Florian Plettenberg, external)

Finally, City face a race against time to sign Andrea Cambiaso, 24, as Juventus will only make a final decision on the Italy full-back's future after Wednesday's Champions League match against Benfica. (Give Me Sport, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Although Oscar Bobb is fit to play some part against Club Brugge in Manchester City's must-win Champions League group game, with the likes of Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias and Jeremy Doku injured, plus new signings unable to play, does Pep Guardiola have enough depth to change the game if the result is not going their way?

Amos Murphy from the City Ramble tells The Football News Show why that is "a red flag" - but also why he backs the players who are fit to see them through to the Champions League play-offs.

Watch The Football News Show on iPlayer

Image source, Getty Images

Club Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet expects it to be a "tough night whatever the situation" Manchester City are in when the two sides meet in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The Belgians have won three of their group games so far, including at home against Aston Villa, and held Juventus to a goalless draw last week. City must get three points to progress to the play-offs for a place in the last 16.

Club Brugge are three points ahead of Pep Guardiola's side going into the game at Etihad Stadium.

"We want to qualify to go to the play-off round, which would be an unbelievable performance and achievement for us," said former Liverpool player Mignolet.

"We don't have to look at what the reasons are for Manchester City being in the situation they are in. We only know that when you have to come to the Etihad, it's going to be a tough night, whatever situation they're in.

"Maybe it might even be more difficult because of the situation they are in."

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol says their "confidence is good" after beating Chelsea on Saturday but they need to stick together if they are to progress in the Champions League.

If City win at home to Club Brugge on Wednesday, then Pep Guardiola's side will scrape into the play-offs. If they draw or lose to Club Brugge, City will be out and their European campaign will be all over before the end of January.

"We all need to stick together, to try and get out of this together," said Gvardiol. "We are in a good way."

"We want to qualify for the next stage and I think our confidence is good, especially after our last home game. We're going to have huge support from our fans so I think we're going to be ready."

Josko Gvardiol says he prefers the old Champions League format.

It was certainly easier to work out what was going to happen in the knockout stages, when you knew the top two from each group went through.

For Manchester City supporters, the demand for victory against Club Brugge tomorrow will quickly be placed by an assessment of where their club is going to finish and who they will play if they do go through.

As City are presently outside the top 24, it is hard to even hazard a guess as to who Pep Guardiola's side will play if they make it through.

We do know they can finish no higher than 19th in the 36-team table, so whoever they get, the first leg next month will be at home.

If they win, they will definitely finish above Club Brugge. But also, as PSG and Stuttgart play each other, both are on 10 points and both, currently, are in the top 24, so City will finish ahead of at least one of them. So a win gets them to 22nd. In addition, Benfica have a tough looking game at Juventus.

So, best guess, a win for City will see them finish 21st which, as it presently stands, would mean a play off with Feyenoord or Lille, who are 11th and 12th. But it probably won't stay like that.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's must-win Champions League game against Club Brugge at Etihad Stadium (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Winger Jeremy Doku is unavailable and will be out injured "for a while". However, Oscar Bobb, who has not played since 10 August, is likely to return to the matchday squad.

• Guardiola said "we will see" when asked if John Stones will play.

• On needing a victory to remain in the competition: "It is not a problem. It's an opportunity - a challenge - and we will face it."

• He said he "is not thinking" about not qualifying and instead: "I'm thinking we're going to do it."

• On the Belgian opponents: "They haven't lost a game in 20 games. They are consistent, solid, aggressive and don't concede chances. We have to perform really well to win the game."

• He said he does not feel City have turned a corner yet "because it's been only a few games" of better results.

• In response to whether he would be embarrassed if his side go out: "Thank you for your concern about whether we are going out. But you can concern me after the game and I will answer you."

• He said he is "not naive enough to not know how important it is financially for the club to go through" but the sporting, not the financial reasons, are more important to him.

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live commentary of Man City v Club Brugge at 20:00 on Wednesday

Follow all of Tuesday's Champions League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Image source, Getty Images

Club Brugge have never won away to English opposition in European competition in 14 previous attempts. Only Anderlecht (19) and Dynamo Kyiv (15) have played more matches without winning in England.

Meanwhile, Erling Haaland has scored eight goals in four Champions League appearances against Belgian opponents, including four against Club Brugge - an average of a goal every 33 minutes.

Bayer Leverkusen have made contact with Manchester City over a loan move for England Under-21 midfielder James McAtee, 22. (Daily Mail, external)

City boss Pep Guardiola will not stand in McAtee's way if he wants to join the German champions. (Football Insider, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Freddie Pye
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

When the January transfer window arrives, very few Manchester City fans get their hopes up when it comes to new faces coming straight into Pep Guardiola's first-team.

However, off the back of a torrid run of form that has largely seen City exit the race for a fifth consecutive Premier League title, and languish towards the bottom of the Champions League, the club hierarchy knew they had to get to work on the next generation of Guardiola's side.

That is exactly what has happened.

Saturday evening gave us our first glimpse into the future and, the opening five minutes aside, you can see exactly why Txiki Begiristain and his colleagues invested so heavily in Abdukodir Khusanov and Omar Marmoush.

The 20-year-old Uzbek brought exactly what was anticipated - a somewhat raw and developing defender who shone in French football and will have no problem getting to grips with the English game's physicality, speed, and unpredictability.

His desire to get involved in tackling and shoulder-to-shoulder battles will make him a firm fan favourite at City for years to come. That started immediately with the emphatic show of support for Khusanov after a difficult opening 54 minutes.

Then there's Marmoush - the Bundesliga's "best player", in the words of Begiristain. Hardly short of confidence, sharp in attacking phases, an eye for goal and bringing exactly the sort of fresh impetus that this existing crop of players desperately needed. It will help keep their season alive and drive them into a new era after the campaign comes to a close.

This is just the beginning of a drastic and much-needed rebuild. It is certainly exciting and a firm reminder that Guardiola's vision will remain for years to come, perhaps long beyond the reign of the Catalan mastermind.

Find more from Freddie Pye at City Xtra, external