Club Brugge vs Manchester City live online: score, goals, highlights | Champions League

Club Brugge 1-5 Manchester City match summary

Manchester City brought Club Brugge back down to earth with a commanding 5-1 victory in the Jan Breydel Stadium to send Pep Guardiola's side to the top of Group A, pending results elsewhere, while dealing Brugge a blow in their hopes of finding an escape hatch from a group containing two of the richest clubs on the planet.

The derring-do that characterised Brugge's 1-1 draw against PSG in the opening round of fixtures, characterised by the link-up play between Charles de Ketelaere and Noa Lang, was absent on Tuesday as the home side were bested across the park and rarely made City think twice about their own game plan.

João Cancelo, Riyad Mahrez (2), Kyle Walker and City's teenaged Champions League debutant Cole Palmer provided the goals with Hans Vanaken grabbing a late consolation as Philippe Clement's side belatedly sprang to life with the game already decided.

The result leaves Brugge on a standing count but not out. The Belgian champions will though in all likelihood have to produce a positive result in the reverse fixture at the Etihad to stand a chance of trumping PSG and City to the last 16, while Guardiola will be justifiably confident of completing a double over Clement's side when the teams meet again on 3 November.

Mahrez leads the way for City

And there's the whistle! City run out comfortable winners in Bruges and move to the top of the group pending the result of PSG-Leipzig.

Corner for City and this will be the final kick we fancy...

A Brugge attack breaks down as Lang, who has been far from his best this evening, plays the ball straight out for a goal kick.

Four minutes added.

Sterling! It just won't go in for the City forward this evening as Mignolet deflects a shot off his heel for a corner.

Corner for Brugge now. The home side have snapped into life in the last 10 minutes.

Dost! Close from the veteran striker as his shot flashes past Ederson's upright.

Van Der Brempt, who has been causing problems on the right since his introduction, pings in a cross, Vormer touches it on and Belgium international Vanaken pokes it past Ederson.

Bas Dost is on for Brugge.

De Ketelaere! Brugge finally fashion a chance through Van Der Brempt and the Belgium international forces a sprawling save from Ederson.

Mignolet! A fine double save from the Brugge keeper prevents Sterling adding another for City.

City carve Brugge open again and Walker tries to tee up Gundogan but the ball is just too far in front of the midfielder.

Dejection in the stands of the Jan Breydel Stadium now as the home fans contemplate what has been a frightening attacking display by City.

Another City change as Fernandinho comes on for Rodri.

Noah Mbamba on for Brugge, the 16-year-old defender also making his Champions League debut.

Grealish goes down in a heap as Éder Balanta goes through the England midfielder like a freight train.

De Bruyne goes off to a standing ovation from both sets of fans and Cole Palmer comes on for City.

Brugge try to make something happen on the right but Van Der Brempt is caught offside from Lang's flick on.

Brugge are chasing shadows now and De Ketelaere is increasingly isolated up top in the false nine position. It may be time for Clement to go old school, throw on a target man and drop the young trickster back to his natural number 10 role.

Gundogan and Aké on for City.

Lovely movement from City as the England international and De Bruyne combine to take Nsoki completely out of the game. Walker picks his spot and buries the ball for City's third and you'd assume that will do it for the visitors.

De Ketelaere latches on to a rare ball behind the City defence but Dias displays excellent defending to deny the Belgium international a run at goal.

No changes at half time and little change on the pitch as City come out firing again, despite Brugge's attempt to push their defensive line a little higher up the pitch.

We're back underway!

Brugge certainly have a mountain to climb in the second half. Just one shot on target from the hosts and 30 percent of the ball so far. They have shown flashes of what they are capable of on the break but City have been in almost total control so far.

Mignolet makes a great save and De Bruyne flashes a shot over the bar from the rebound to end the half. The whistle - or should that be the bell? - goes to allow the home side into the changing room to try and readjust to what has been an utterly dominant City performance in the opening 45.

Vanaken has a golden opportunity to send De Ketelaere through but seems to doubt his own ability to do so and tamely taps the ball to a City defender. Brugge are not in the same mindset as they have previously diplayed in Europe this season.

Three minutes added in the Jan Breydel Stadium.

Penalty! Mahrez is clipped by Nsoki and the ref has no hesitation in pointing to the spot!

Brugge win a corner and De Ketelaere aims for the towering Hendry at the far post but clears the Scotsman's head by a whisker.

The home fans are urging their side on but Brugge have yet to land a blow. Zero shots on target and very few incursions into City territory. Clement does have ammo on the bench though in the form of Ruud Vormer and Bas Dost.

Sobol wins a corner as Brugge decide to go out swinging at the end of the half. It's a tricky one for Ederson but the City keeper punches clear.

It's all to easy for Walker though as he nods De Ketelaere's floated ball to safety. Brugge are going to have to offer more going forward now to have a chance of salvaging something from the game.

Laporte into the book and Brugge have a chance to strike back from a dead ball situation.

Grealish this time with a glorious first touch to escape the attention of Mata. His cross is good but Foden can't connect.

De Bruyne! Great save from Mignolet as the Belgian hits a shot from the edge of the area after Silva air-kicked the cross. City's attackers are pretty much lining up for a pop at the moment.

Mata goes in the book for a clumsy challenge on Bernardo Silva.

The delivery is sent straight into the gloves of Ederson though.

Brief respite as De Ketelaere is clobbered by Rubén Dias. Brugge have a chance from a set piece now and they have some big lads at the back.

It seems only a matter of time before City break the deadlock. Every time Brugge get the ball the visitors win it back and push forward again. Cancelo this time sends in a cross that only needs a touch but it eludes everyone in the box.

Brugge clear again and the ball is sent into the City half, which is empty apart from Ederson.

Beautiful stuff from Brugge as a ball from the back finds De Ketelaere, who flicks for a pass to be launched toward Lang. City scramble back but Brugge displaying their ability to hit on the break there.

And the decision stands! Brugge weathering the storm for now.

Ufff, that was a close call! Rodri has the ball in the net from a De Bruyne free kick and the flag is up but VAR will have a nose at this...

Close! Bernardo Silva on the overlap and he fizzes a cross in that Nsoki almost turns into his own net!

And the home side have players out to warm up as the defender climbs gingerly to his feet. Looks like he may have twanged something there in the challenge. Brugge temporarily down to 10 men.

Grealish has the ball in the back of the net but he steamrolled through Mata to get there and the ref pulls play back for a Brugge free kick.

A quick move from Brugge and Lang feeds De Ketelaere but the youngster had strayed offside.

Grealish goes to ground rather too easily under a challenge from Clinton Mata and the ref waves play on.

Foden wins a corner for City, Mahrez trots over to take. It's taken short though and Brugge push it back out towards the halfway line.

City in total control of the ball early on and Brugge's plan becomes clear as Lang is sent scurrying down the left to chase a long ball from the back.

Here we go! City get the ball rolling, the visitors in white today with the home side in their traditional blue and black.

Here come the teams... and the Champions League anthem.

Just a few minutes from kick off now and there's a decent atmosphere in the Jan Breydel Stadium, plenty of away fans in the stands and cautious optimism among the home supporters, who are in good voice.

Brugge's juniors held City to a 1-1 draw in the Youth League earlier to remain unbeaten, a result that would suit their senior colleagues quite nicely today. Anything other than a win for City will put the cat among the pigeons though.

Manchester City XI confirmed

Guardiola has elected to start with Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez up top, consigning Gabriel Jesus to the bench. De Bruyne will pull the strings in midfield with Ederson back between the sticks for this one.

Club Brugge XI confirmed

Clement has announced his starting XI with Vanaken and De Ketelaere likely to be the most advanced players in a 4-4-1-1. Hendry and Nsoki will provide the wall at the back.

Another player to keep an eye on today is Jack Hendry, for whom the term journeyman could have been invented. The Scotland international has played for Partick Thistle, Wigan Athletic, Dundee, Celtic and Oostende, with loan spells at Melbourne City, Shrewsbury and MK Dons. At 6'5" he provides a commanding presence in the heart of defence and alongside France youth international Stanley Nsoki kept Mbappé, Neymar and Messi quiet a few weeks ago.

Brugge are currently unbeaten in their last seven and have only lost once this season in all competitions. With no injury concerns, Clement is unlikely to tinker too much with a winning formula but Guardiola will likely recal Ederson and Gabriel Jesus after they sat out the 2-0 victory over Burnley at the weekend.

Player to watch: Charles De Ketelaere

The Brugge youth product has been likened to Kevin de Bruyne and tipped to succeeed the City player as his country's talisman in the next generation. Many observers feel he outshone PSG's big stars and he had a hand in both goals against Leipzig. He has been capped by Belgium twice, scoring his first goal against Italy in the Nations League defeat a couple of weeks ago. The assist, of course, came from De Bruyne.

Clement has a very exciting squad at his disposal. Mixing experienced players most will have heard of such as Simon Mignolet, Bas Dost, José Izquierdo and Matej Mitrovic with talented youngsters many possibly won't have - Noa Lang, Owen Otasowie and Charles De Ketelaere - on the back of a Belgian spine led by Hans Vanaken and Ruud Vormer, this is arguably Brugge's best ever chance to progrees from the group stage for the first time, despite the opposition they must get past to achieve that. 

For Philippe Clement's side, this a free hit. Brugge have become quite the masters of the battling point in the Champions League in recent seasons, as Monaco, Dortmund, Atlético, Real Madrid, Galatasaray and Lazio can all attest.

Brugge started their campaign with a 1-1 draw against PSG and backed that up with a 2-1 victory away at Leipzig. With the Bundesliga side and the Ligue 1 giants meeting at the Parc des Princes, this game takes on even more significance for City. Lose, or at least fail to win, and Mauricio Pochettino's side will be in a very strong position to go through as group winners.

This is the first of a double header between the Belgian and English champions with Pep Guardiola's side not exactly where they would like to be going into tonight's game: third and behind Brugge with the pressure entirely on the visitors this evening.

Club Brugge vs Manchester City: welcome

Hello and welcome to AS English's live coverage of the Champions League matchday three fixture between Club Brugge and Manchester City from the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges. Kick-off in today's game is at 18:45 CEST.