‘It’s an opportunity’ – what is at stake for Man City?

As they attempt to avoid exiting the competition at the group stage, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has described their Champions League situation as “not a problem” but “an opportunity.”

The 2022-23 champions are 25th in the 36-team league, two points out of the positions that qualify for the knockout phase play-offs.

To avoid being eliminated from the group stage, they must defeat Belgian Club Brugge on Wednesday at Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola said, “We must win the game, and if not, we will not continue in this competition.”

“We want to have a second opportunity to play two more games in order to advance to the next stages.” It’s not a problem, it’s an opportunity”.

Prior to the game, Guardiola confirmed Oscar Bobb will be available for selection, giving Manchester City a boost with their injuries.

After breaking a bone in his leg last summer, the midfielder has been missing for five months.

Guardiola, who has managed the Champions League three times, is treating the match like a knockout fixture and City reached the Champions League quarter-finals last term.

He added: “These type of games I’ve played many times. Sooner or later, you must play them, with the winning outcome going your way.

Out of the 36 league teams, Manchester City are one of the 25 that are still awaiting fate.

Due to Guardiola’s side being eliminated, their previous 4-2 defeat by Paris St-Germain cost them.

If City fail to beat Club Brugge, they would not drop into the Europa League. This season’s European football would be over for them.

A significant financial hit would result from failing to make it to the next round.

Every club in the league phase gets 18.62m euros (£15.6m) for participating, with performance bonuses of 2.1m euros per win and 700, 000 euros per draw.

The play-offs are worth an additional 1 million euros, but once that is reached, things start to become lucrative.

Reaching the last 16 banks a club 11m euros, the quarter-finals is worth an extra 12.5m euros and clubs getting to the semi-finals receive 15m euros.

Getting to the final is worth a guaranteed 18.5m euros, with the champions pocketing 25m euros.

That would mean Manchester City would lose a potential 64.5 million euros (£54.1 million) if they didn’t exit the group stage.

Guardiola’s ability to succeed in the transfer market may be affected by the knock-on effect, but he wouldn’t be drawn into that scenario on Tuesday.

” I didn’t speak with my chief executive about that, “he said.

In order to secure Champions League football next season, Manchester City would need to win the FA Cup and finish in the top four or five of the Premier League.

It has happened twice – in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

In a group that included Bayern Munich, Napoli, and Villarreal on the first occasion, they were drawn drawn, but despite claiming three victories, it was insufficient to place them in the top two.

The following season they finished bottom of their group, failing to win any of their six games, losing to Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and Ajax.

Barcelona have won the Champions League five times, but they only recently advanced to the group stages in 2021 and 2022.

Manchester City have a 63.8% chance of defeating Club Brugge in the play-off round thanks to Opta.

However, the chances of reaching the last 16 falls to 41.1%.

This season, Club Brugge have won three of their Champions League matches at home, including a victory over Aston Villa.

In their previous European appearance, they held Juventus to a goalless draw, but that was only their one away victory on October 2 at Sturm Graz.

The Belgians are, however, in good form having not lost a game in any competition since 22 October.

Nicky Hayen, who previously served as the manager of the Welsh semi-professional side Haverfordwest County, is in charge of them.