Manchester City is facing a crucial week in their European Champions League journey, as they prepare to host Belgium’s Club Brugge next Wednesday in the eighth (final) round of the group stage.
City recently suffered a disappointing 2-4 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the seventh round, which dropped them to 25th place with 8 points, earned from two wins, two draws, and three losses.
According to the Champions League rules, the top eight teams in the group stage automatically qualify for the knockout round, while teams finishing in positions nine through 24 will enter elimination matches to determine who advances to the round of 16.
Will Manchester City qualify for the 2024-25 Champions League?
For Manchester City to progress, they must win against Brugge, currently in 20th place with 11 points, in order to secure a place in the knockout stage. Unfortunately, their hopes of qualifying directly for the round of 16 have already been dashed.
We also consulted an artificial intelligence application about City’s chances of advancing, and the app estimated their odds at no more than 50%, with an equal chance of the team being eliminated from the competition.
This 50% chance has come as a shock to City fans, especially considering the team has won the Premier League for the last four seasons and claimed the Champions League title in the 2022-23 season.
Despite having star players like Ederson Moraes, Josko Gvardiol, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, and Erling Haaland, City has struggled with inconsistent performances this season.
The team has already suffered 10 losses across all competitions, and their Champions League win rate stands at just 28.57%, compared to 50% in the Premier League.
These unsatisfactory results prompted City to make significant moves in the winter transfer market, securing three strong signings: Egyptian striker Omar Marmoush and defenders Vitor Reis and Abdulkadir Khosanov.
Many Manchester City fans are hopeful that these new additions will help improve the team’s performance and bring better results in the second half of the season.
