After 7 rounds of the 2024-2025 Champions League group stage, Man City has 8 points, ranking 25/36.
Club Brugge are 20th with 11 points. Man City must beat Club Brugge at home to qualify for the play-offs. Ahead of the match, Pep Guardiola revealed that Oscar Bobb could play.
The Norwegian playmaker has been sidelined since the Community Shield last August with a foot injury.
The Spanish tactician also confirmed that centre-back John Stones, who came on for 35 minutes in Man City's 3-1 win over Chelsea, could also start against Club Brugge.
“The players who played against Chelsea are there and I think Oscar is back. John Stones played 35 minutes at the weekend and did very well. We will see how he is,” said Pep Guardiola.
Newly signed players Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov are all ineligible to play in the match.
The clash with Club Brugge is City's most important game of the season. A win would see Guardiola through to the play-offs. A draw or loss would see them eliminated. Looking ahead to the game, Guardiola urged his players to seize the moment and enjoy the opportunity.
But with Brugge on a 20-match unbeaten run, the Man City head coach said he was well aware of the threat posed by the Belgian side.
“Our situation is that we have to win the game or we are out. We want to have the chance to play two more play-offs and qualify for the next round. That is Man City’s chance and we have to face it.
We are playing against a tough opponent. When a team is unbeaten for 20 games, it is because they are talented. There is no secret. I have watched Brugge's games and I know how they make it difficult for teams like Aston Villa, Juventus, AC Milan. They played very well.
"They always have different variations in the way they develop their play and mark people. That's always very annoying. We have to do our job well. Like every team, Man City has weaknesses. If we find them, we will be punished," said Guardiola.
The match between Man City and Club Brugge will take place at 3:00 a.m. on January 30.
