Manchester City vs. Club Brugge 11/3/21 UEFA Champions League Soccer Pick, Odds, and Prediction

Manchester City is welcoming Club Brugge to Etihad Stadium in round 4 of Group A of the UEFA Champions League. City is in 2^nd place in this group, but they can still reach the top, or end in 3^rd place as well. Club Brugge is doing a solid job in the Champions League, and their chances of advancing are still decent.

It doesn’t happen often, but Manchester City is now on a 2-game losing streak during which they haven’t scored a single goal, which is why they need a striker in their team! In their last game against Crystal Palace at home, City was the dominant team with 68% of ball possession, 3 shots on goal, 7 corner kicks, 0 big chances created, and 86% of the correct passes. Guardiola is sometimes his own worst enemy, and he definitely was in this game. Despite all the dominance, City hasn’t created a single decent chance, and they ended up losing this game 0-2. In the Champions League, City has scored an impressive 11 goals, and their leading goalscorer is Mahrez with 3 goals. Yes, City is a great team, they have the quality, they have the depth, but they don’t have a striker that will help them score consistently, and that is a problem.

Club Brugge is the best team in Belgium, and they are quite dominant there, but in the Champions League they got one of the strongest groups, and it might end their Champions League dream. Brugge has been solid so far in the Champions League with 4 scored goals, and Vanaken is their leading goalscorer with 3 goals. With 4 points, Brugge is in 3^rd place, and the minimum they will accomplish will be the Europa League this season. in their latest game against Saint-Truidense on the road, Club Brugge has had 64% of ball possession, 5 shots on goal, 2 corner kicks, 2 big chances created, and 80% of the correct passes. After getting ahead in the 1^st minute, Brugge has conceded a goal in the 23^rd minute, but with another goal in the 49^th minute, Club Brugge has won this game 1-2. Despite being in a solid situation right now, I can’t say I see Brugge getting to the next stage because City and PSG are just too strong, and I think they will need to be satisfied with the Europa League this season.

Just a couple of weeks ago, these two teams have met in Belgium, and City has won that game 1-5, but given their bad form right now, Brugge has the right to hope. City is the better team here, and they are the home team, and for that reason, I just don’t see Brugge being a threat.