Algerian Riyad Mahrez shone, scoring two goals and leading his team Manchester City to a resounding 5-1 victory against their Belgian hosts Club Brugge on Tuesday in the third round of Group A matches in the UEFA Champions League. City completely dominated the match and opened the scoring after just half an hour through Joao Cancelo (30). In the 43rd minute, Mahrez scored the second goal from a penalty before Kyle Walker added the third goal in the 53rd minute, followed by young Cole Palmer, 19 years old, who scored the fourth goal in the 67th minute.
As the match entered its final phase, the pace intensified, with Hans Vanaken scoring the only goal for the hosts in the 81st minute before Mahrez sealed his second goal and his team's fifth in the 84th minute. This goal marked Mahrez's seventh in his last seven Champions League matches.
With this victory, Manchester City increased their points tally to 6 from two wins and one loss, while Club Brugge remains at 4 points from one win and one draw. Coach Pep Guardiola's men began their continental campaign with a thrilling victory (6-3) at home against the German team before falling in the French capital to Paris Saint-Germain with a score of 2-0.
Guardiola made four changes to the lineup that started against Burnley (2-0) in the domestic league on Saturday, bringing in Jack Grealish instead of Raheem Sterling alongside Mahrez and Phil Foden, while keeping the same midfield led by Belgian Kevin De Bruyne, who recorded his first hat-trick against Club Brugge specifically. He also opted for Portuguese Ruben Dias and Kyle Walker in defense, while the primary goalkeeper Ederson returned.
City established near-total control over the match, having two early goals ruled out for offside, the first by Grealish (11) and the second by Spaniard Rodri (13).
#### Goal Fest
Cancelo opened the scoring after Foden delivered a beautiful ball behind the defenders into the area, which the Portuguese controlled on his chest before firing with his left foot between the legs of goalkeeper Simon Mignolet (30).
Mahrez was awarded a penalty after being fouled by French defender Stanley Nsoki, which he successfully converted to the right of the goalkeeper (43). He nearly scored his second shortly after, receiving the ball in the center of the area but shot it easily into the hands of the former Liverpool keeper (45+3).
City started the second half as they ended the first, with Walker scoring the third goal after receiving the ball inside the area from a through-pass by De Bruyne, finishing with his right foot from a tight angle (53).
Two minutes after coming on as a substitute for De Bruyne in his first-ever Champions League appearance, the young Cole Palmer scored the fourth goal with a left-footed shot from outside the area to the right of the goalkeeper (67). Palmer had come on late in the previous match against Burnley and had scored a hat-trick for his U-23 team just a few hours later against Leicester City (5-0).
The hosts had to wait until the 79th minute for their first shot on target through a header from Charles De Ketelaere, which Ederson expertly deflected for a corner before they managed to score a consolation goal through Vanaken from a cross by Dutch substitute Ruud Vormer (81). However, they enjoyed that goal for only three minutes as Mahrez scored his second after Brazilian Fernandinho played a ball behind the defenders, allowing the Algerian to run through and place the ball in the net (84).
