De Bruyne continued to return strongly, scoring and assisting in the Man City 3-1 Copenhagen match, first leg of the Champions League round of 16.
Arriving in Denmark as a guest of Copenhagen in the round of 16 of the C1 Cup, De Bruyne put Man City ahead in the 10th minute with a dangerous diagonal shot at a narrow angle. Then goalkeeper Ederson’s mistake helped the hosts equalize in the 34th minute.
However, in the stoppage time at the end of the first half, Bernardo Silva restored the lead for Pep Guardiola’s team. After De Bruyne dribbled the ball, the Copenahagen player tried to block it, bringing it within range of the Portuguese midfielder. .
In the 90+2 minute, De Bruyne continued to make his mark when assisting Phil Foden to seal a 3-1 victory for Man City against Copenhagen, creating a great advantage before the rematch at Etihad.
Receiving the Best Player of the Match award, De Bruyne said in an excited mood: “I think Man City played a good match.
We started the first match well, getting an early goal is always important because it helps us feel more comfortable.”
The Belgian midfielder revealed that before hitting Copenhagen’s net, his intention was to pass the ball to Haaland
“At that time, I watched to pass to Erling Haaland, but the opponent covered him very well, so I decided to shoot at a tight angle and the ball went into the net.”
De Bruyne added: “We made a mistake and they took advantage but then tried to regain the advantage.
In the second half we created many opportunities and should have scored more goals. Fortunately, the team finally got the third goal at the end of the match so now they have a little advantage (before the second leg).”
The image of Pep Guardiola hugging De Bruyne after the match in happiness says many things. The most creative midfielder in the world, so far has 2 goals and 7 assists after 9 matches since returning to Man City, showing how effective he is.
“I’m just trying to play good football and enjoy myself. I’m happy to come back after so long and help the team win. I feel good and happy with my current form,” the 32-year-old midfielder shared.