MAN CITY host Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday night. Daniel McCulloch (@DMcCulloch1984) shares his favourite fancies.
Manchester City vs Club Brugge | Wednesday 3rd November 2021, 20:00 | BT Sport
Manchester City are a best price of 1/8 to win this encounter and it is hard to disagree with such a price given the gulf between these two sides resources. That was evident in a comfortable win for The Citizens in the away fixture and I cannot see anything but a City win.
Some may be concerned by a poor result against Crystal Palace at the weekend but I think The Eagles were due a big result and City did have to play more than half the game with ten men. Overall, they top the expected points table in the Premier League and their performances in the Champions League – even in a 2-0 defeat to PSG – have been very good.
However, the prices on any type of City win are too prohibitive, so while I did consider a Citizens win and BTTS, 2/1 did not feel big enough to convince me to get involved. Instead, I will take the 17/2 on a goalscorer for their opponents.
Hans Vanaken has scored in each of Brugge’s Champions League group stage matches, included his sides only goal in defeat a fortnight ago. He has also had the most shots for his side so far in this competition (eight with five on target) and while I know that a goal a game is not sustainable (he is around one in three across his career, including four in 12 domestically this season) long-term, I do think the Belgian side will score and think the 17/2 Paddy Power are offering on Brugge’s most likely outlet based on performances in this competition is far too big.
Elsewhere, I like the look of Brugge’s Noa Lang to see a card at 7/2 with SkyBet. Lang has received five yellow cards in 13 matches in The Belgian Pro League this term and also one in his three Champions League matches. The Dutch winger is likely to have his hands full given City’s threat on both flanks and I am relatively happy with the appointment of Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz as referee for this encounter.
Across a 298 game career, Lahoz averaged 4.61 cards per game and while this drops to 3.78 in Champions League matches, I would be confident that Lang is one of the names in his notebook if he dishes out three or four cards.
Best Bets
Manchester City vs Club Brugge – Hans Vanaken to score (17/2 Paddy Power)
Manchester City vs Club Brugge – Noa Lang to see a card (7/2 SkyBet)
