– There was a lot of pressure and we needed to win. We were not good enough in the first half but in the end we had still made a very good match, says Mateo Kovacic to TNT Sports.
Manchester City was pressed to win in the last match by Champions League’s league phase.
The opponents in the Måm match were “only” Belgian Club Brygge, which could well break down without problems.
But the home supporters would have to think about it.
Shocked the home team
When half the match was played, it was precisely the Belgian guests who had taken the lead, when Raphael Onyedika completed a game turn and thundered in 1-0. This is despite the fact that City has largely parked outside the guests’ penalty area throughout the first half.
Fortunately for the home team, Mateo Kovacic took the matter in his own hands and acknowledged early in the second half. And after just over an hour, Josko Gvardiol, via Bryggbacken Joel Ordonez’s Ben, was able to complete the turn to 2-1.
When the final whistle sounded, coach Pep Guardiola was able to sigh with relief. The final result was written 3-1, after a closing goal by Savinho.
Manchester City advanced to the sixteenth finals as 22nd teams of 24, thanks to goal difference, and thus avoided a failure. Even for Club Brygge, the evening ended happily. After nervous the wait with the look on the mobile phone, you could find that you have taken the 24th and last playoff spot.
Sporting on – without Gyökeres
Even Sporting Lisbon, who was without Viktor Gyökeres for the evening due to injury, moved on with distress and hardly.
Gyökere’s Danish replacement, Conrad Harder, angled in the 77th minute in the receipt against Bologna, which meant that 1-1 and that the team is cutting place 23 and advances.