BRUGES, Belgium (Reuters) – Riyad Mahrez scored twice as Manchester Metropolis produced a dominant away efficiency to place their Champions League marketing campaign again on monitor with a 5-1 thrashing of hosts Membership Brugge on Tuesday.
A purpose from Joao Cancelo and a Mahrez penalty put the English champions 2-0 forward at halftime on the Jan Breydel Stadium with Kyle Walker, teenage substitute Cole Palmer and Mahrez once more including three extra after the break.
Hans Vanaken scored Brugge’s comfort purpose with 9 minutes remaining.
Metropolis’s snug victory got here after they misplaced at Paris St Germain of their final Group A recreation and sees them advance to 6 factors, two greater than their Belgian hosts.
The guests had been on high from nearly the beginning, dominating possession as they noticed a number of early alternatives denied by tight offside calls.
Their breakthrough appeared nearly inevitable, but it surely took a elegant go excessive of the house defence from Phil Foden on the half-hour mark to arrange Cancelo, who expertly trapped the ball along with his chest earlier than ending from shut vary.
Mahrez was introduced down by Stanley Nsoki’s clumsy problem two minutes earlier than halftime, with the winger getting up off the turf to take the kick himself and double the lead.
Kevin De Bruyne, on his return to his house nation, mixed with Mahrez to arrange Walker for the third within the 53rd minute in what was a well-worked workforce purpose, highlighting their fast passing and robust operating onto the ball.
Raheem Sterling and Palmer got here on concurrently substitutes within the sixty fourth minute and three minutes later the 19-year-old had his first European purpose. Sterling hit a cross-field ball for Palmer, who steadied himself earlier than ending along with his left foot.
Brugge’s first likelihood got here some 12 minutes from fulltime when Charles De Ketelaere’s header compelled a pointy save out of Man Metropolis goalkeeper Ederson and shortly after Vanaken completed off a sq. ball that caught out the Metropolis defence.
However Mahrez capped off a champagne evening for Metropolis as he beat the offside entice to complete off Fernandinho’s lengthy go for the fifth purpose within the 84th minute.
The 2 golf equipment meet in Manchester on Nov. 3 of their subsequent group recreation.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape City; Modifying by Toby Davis)
