Pep Guardiola has revealed his half-time message which ultimately inspired Manchester City to victory over Club Brugge in the Champions League.
In a game they had to win to avoid a shock elimination, City trailed at the break to Raphael Onyedika’s effort that whistled past Ederson right on the stroke of half-time.
However, Mateo Kovacic equalised early in the second half before Brugge defender Joel Ordonez turned the ball into his own net when attempting to deal with Josko Gvardiol's cross to put City ahead just after the hour mark.
Though they had to wait until the 77th minute to make the game safe as Savinho netted his first ever Champions League goal to ensure the 2023 winners are safely into the play-off round.
And following a much improved performance from his side after the break, Guardiola has revealed what was said during the half-time team talk: "No I told them it's over and that we are out so we have 45 minutes, he told TNT Sports. “I know that we are able when we score a goal in front of our people we can come back.
"The first-half was so academic, we didn't have the spark to do it against a team that defends really well and especially with the ball thet do really, really well. They are fast, it's not a surprise that in the last 21, 22 games they have been unbeaten. That means a lot of games and we knew it.
"But in the second half, before the 1-1 from Kova we had one or two chances to do it and of course it was a game with unbelievable transition but of course when you have nothing to do, you are more crazy and they can make a transition but you can do it and fortunately we can go [through].”
Guardiola’s decision to replace Ilkay Gundogan with Savinho at half-time was key to City’s comeback and the Spaniard singled out the winger for praise afterwards.
“In the second half we believed in our souls and our hearts,” Guardiola added. “Savio, like all the season was incredible, he make another rhythm and fortunately we are in the next round, that’s good.”
The draw for the Champions League knockout phase play-offs will take place at 11am GMT on Friday January 31, 2025 where Man City will discover if they’ll face Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.
The first legs will be played on either Tuesday February 11 or Wednesday February 12, with the reverse fixtures taking place a week later.
