By Daily Sports on November 3, 2021

Manchester City will look to rebound from their shock defeat to Crystal Palace when they face Club Brugge in Group A of the Champions League on Wednesday.

The UEFA Champions League has returned to action this midweek, and on Wednesday Manchester City will be playing hosts to Club Brugge at the Etihad. Both teams have done well in their respective European campaigns and will be eager to win this critical encounter.

The prospect of facing a team who had held Paris Saint-Germain to a draw and defeated RB Leipzig may have caused some concern for Manchester City, but Pep Guardiola’s men reaffirmed their dominance in Europe last month with a resounding 5-1 win over Club Brugge.

Despite the margin of their victories over RB Leipzig and Club Brugge, a 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain means the Citizens currently sit second in Group A, and a surprise outcome on Wednesday may put them in a tricky situation. Moreover, the reigning English champions have had a couple of concerning domestic losses heading into this encounter.

After West Ham United halted their reign of domination in the Carabao Cup, the Citizens were again undone in front of their own supporters, falling to a surprise Premier League defeat against Crystal Palace, with Wilfried Zaha and Conor Gallagher getting on the scoresheet at the Etihad.

Despite testing their mettle against PSG and Leipzig and walking away with a solid four-point tally, Club Brugge’s bid to grab one over the surging Pep Guardiola machine proved too much for them. However, the Belgian champions have done exceptionally well to hold their footings in a tough group wherein many anticipated them to finish at the basement.

With Leipzig still to earn a point in Europe this season, Brugge will fancy their chances of clinching a top-three finish. Ahead of what could be a vital contest at the Etihad in terms of ratifications in Group A, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams. (The Hard Tackle)  

•PHOTO: Man City Manager Guardiola

Source Daily Sports

Posted November 3, 2021

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