Pep Guardiola

Manchester City vs Club Brugge betting tips, BuildABet, best bets and preview



Football betting tips: Champions League

2pts Manchester City to win and under 3.5 goals at 11/8 (Sky Bet, Betway, Boylesports)

1.5pts Kevin De Bruyne 1+ assists at 13/8 (Boylesports)

1pt Phil Foden 1+ assists at 3/1 (Boylesports)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair


BuildABet @ 12/1

  • Foden to score anytime
  • De Bruyne 1+ assists
  • Man City to win
  • Under 3.5 goals

Click here to back with Sky Bet

https://m.skybet.com/football/competition-specials/league-phase-finale-ucl-specials-wed-29th-jan/35000135?aff=688&dcmp=SL_ED_FOOTBALL_CLBOOST

Kick-off: 20:00 GMT, Wednesday

TV: TNT Sports 2

Home 1/6 | Draw 13/2 | Away 12/1


When you're not winning you're learning, apparently.

I must say I didn't feel that way on Saturday evening having changed my mind at the very last moment, and instead of tipping Manchester City to win and both teams to score, and Phil Foden to score anytime for their Premier League match with Chelsea, I changed my mind to advise a clutch of bets that (of course) all lost.

Pep Guardiola gestures to the crowd

Pep Guardiola, though, has learned plenty during his own unprecedentedly painful winless run, and aside from City's second-half capitulation to lose 4-2 at PSG last week really does seem to have worked out how to stop losing.

That being said, when Abdukodir Khusanov made the worst possible start to his career at the Etihad by gifting Chelsea the lead at the weekend, Guardiola could have been forgiven for thinking things were beyond a state of repair.

But the way his team responded to fight back and win 3-1 will have provided plenty of optimism for their final Champions League group game against Club Brugge, a match they must win to make it out of the opening phase.


What are the best bets?

Erling Haaland and Manchester City celebrate

Defeat in Paris remains City's solitary loss in eight matches (W5 D2 L1), quite the turnaround considering the depths they plunged to in the two months prior.

While prohibitively short in the 1X2, we should back MANCHESTER CITY TO WIN AND UNDER 3.5 GOALS at a generous 11/8.

In Club Brugge they will find a stubborn opponent.

The Belgian club have conceded only eight goals in seven group games, scoring just seven themselves, but have managed to scrape together enough points to have a 93.9% probability of reaching the play-off round, according to Opta.

A point guarantees their safe passage, but in reality they only need avoid a landslide defeat combined with a highly unlikely combination of results elsewhere.

Simply needing to win, expect a more controlled performance from Guardiola's men if, as expected, they manage to get a couple of goals ahead.

Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden

City's turnaround, they've scored 27 goals in seven matches, has been inspired by the return to form and fitness of PHIL FODEN and KEVIN DE BRUYNE.

Foden has scored seven goals in six games and provided two ASSISTS.

Looking back to his best - he provided for team-mates 12 times alongside his 27 goals last season - taking him at 3/1 for 1+ ASSISTS is advised, as is the 13/8 about his team-mate DE BRUYNE to do likewise.

The PSG game was the first time in four matches De Bruyne hasn't registered an assist when starting, with the Belgian providing four in his previous three appearances against West Ham, Brentford and Ipswich.

Rested against Chelsea on Sunday, he's worth taking to slightly bigger stakes.


Team news

Ruben Dias Manchester City

Man City remain without Ruben Dias after he suffered a fresh injury setback against PSG last week. Abdukodir Khusanov is ineligible - along with Vitor Reis and Omar Marmoush - and Nathan Ake is doubtful meaning John Stones should return in central defence.

Jeremy Doku is another expected to miss out. Oscar Bobb and Rodri are long-term absentees.

Club Brugge hope to have captain Hans Vanaken available after he missed their weekend league game through illness. They have an otherwise fully-fit squad.


Predicted line-ups

Man City: Ederson; Lewis, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol; Silva, Kovacic; Foden, De Bruyne, Savinho; Haaland.

Brugge: Mignolet; Sabbe, Mechele, Ordonez, De Cuyper; Jashari, Onyedika; Talbi, Vanaken, Tzolis; Nilsson.


Match facts

  • Manchester City won both of their previous meetings with Club Brugge, winning 5-1 away and 4-1 at home during the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League group stage.
  • Club Brugge have never won away to English opposition in European competition in 14 previous attempts (D2 L12 – qualifiers included); only RSC Anderlecht (19 games) and Dynamo Kyiv (15 games) have played more such games without ever recording a win in England.
  • Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 33 UEFA Champions League matches at the Etihad (W28 D5), although three of their last four have ended as stalemates, losing a three-goal lead against Feyenoord to draw 3-3 last time out.
  • Failure to win this game will see Manchester City eliminated from the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League. Pep Guardiola’s side have thrown away two 2+ goal leads in the competition this term (3-3 vs Feyenoord, 2-4 vs PSG) – the only side to do so in three games in a single European Cup campaign were Reims in the inaugural edition in 1955-56.
  • Club Brugge are unbeaten in their last four matches in the UEFA Champions League (W2 D2), while only once previously have they had a longer run without defeat within the same European Cup/Champions League campaign (five games in 1976-77).
  • Manchester City have dropped eight points from winning positions in the UEFA Champions League this season, with only RB Leipzig (9) losing more. The Citizens’ defeat against Paris SG was the first time they had lost a game in which they were two goals up since May 2021 in the Premier League against Brighton & Hove Albion (2-3).
  • Club Brugge failed to land a shot on target in their previous UEFA Champions League game (0-0 v Juventus). Ahead of their trip to the Etihad, they’ve never previously failed to do so in consecutive games in the competition on record (since 2003-04).
  • Manchester City faced 26 shots in their 4-2 defeat to PSG last time out, having faced on average just 8.3 shots per game in their previous six UEFA Champions League matches this term. Indeed, it was their most shots faced in a match in the competition since September 2012 (35 vs Real Madrid).
  • Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has scored eight goals in four UEFA Champions League appearances against Belgian opponents (4 vs KRC Genk, 4 vs Club Brugge), averaging a goal every 33 minutes versus such opposition.
  • Maxim De Cuyper and Christos Tzolis have both created 14 chances each in the UEFA Champions League this season; the joint-most for Club Brugge in a single campaign on record (since 2003-04). Indeed, Tzolis’ 12 chances created from open play is an outright season-high by a Brugge player in the same period.

Odds correct at 1530 GMT (28/01/25)

More from Sporting Life

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.

Like what you've read?

MOST READ FOOTBALL

Join for Free
Image of stables faded in a gold gradientGet exclusive Willie Mullins insight, plus access to premium articles, expert tips and Timeform data, plus more...
Log in
Discover Sporting Life Plus benefits

FOOTBALL TIPS