Manchester City’s Champions League campaign could have gone the same way as the merchandise stand outside Etihad Stadium that went up in flames before kick-off – but a fightback on the pitch meant they scraped into the play-offs.
Even City manager Pep Guardiola sensed the bad omens, saying: “When I saw the fire before the game I thought ‘the journalists have their headlines already’.”
Thankfully, no-one was hurt in that pre-match drama, while City were also able to finally emerge unscathed from a night of tension and nerves, displaying more of the fragility that has characterized their season.
It’s Real Madrid or Bayern Munich next – a scenario that might send shudders down the spine of the most ardent City follower.
City’s final placing of 22nd in the new Champions League opening phase after Wednesday’s 3-1 win against Club Brugge should be a source of embarrassment to a club of such high ambition, winners of this tournament in 2023.
And yet, for a short while, it look like it was going to be a lot worse as Guardiola’s side faced the humiliation of not even making the play-offs.
Apart from one noisy corner occupied by Brugge fans, you could have heard a pin drop when Raphael Onyedika’s low drive right on half-time left City needing two goals to score the win they required.
A play-off spot would have been viewed as an unlikely consolation prize at the start of the campaign. When even that began to fade from view, this season’s sense of crisis was heightening.
City were vulnerable at the back, with weakness out wide once more, and blunt in attack. This was only the second time a team managed by Guardiola failed to have a first-half shot on target, following on from a game against Borussia Dortmund in September 2022.
Those home fans inside the stadium were subdued. City had given their supporters nothing to ease their growing concerns.
Guardiola had gone through agonies in his technical area, clutching his head in anguish on several occasions as City were hit on the break, also aiming a wild kick at a drinks box, although he laughed this off afterwards with a reminder about his stellar playing career at Barcelona.
