Club Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet is in no doubt Manchester City are better than fellow Champions League heavyweights Paris St Germain.
The former Liverpool number one has now faced both sides in this season’s competition and had a much tougher night against Pep Guardiola’s men than the star-studded PSG team boasting Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
Mignolet had a game to forget as City ran out 5-1 winners in Tuesday’s Group A clash at the Jan Breydel Stadium, a one-sided encounter in which the Belgian champions were fortunate not to concede more.
The capitulation contrasted with Brugge’s battling 1-1 draw with PSG in their opening match last month.
Mignolet said: “It is the first time that this group has played against a team where there is quality across the pitch, throughout the whole team, not coming from three superstars.
“In attack they switch positions and danger comes from everywhere. It is the first time we actually had this challenge.
“We need to take lessons from it. We did against PSG but this, for me, is a different challenge and a harder challenge against a better opponent than it was against Paris St Germain.
“We have to learn from it and see the way forward.”
Despite the heavy defeat, Mignolet insists the team are not disheartened.
Brugge will face City again in the reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium in a fortnight.
The 33-year-old said: “There is no need to be more disappointed losing with five goals conceded than 1-0.
“I think we have to accept the result of the game and we have to accept the qualities of the other side, and the performers on the other team.
“What happened here can happen again over there but there is no point thinking about this. We just have to try to get a result there and we will see how it ends.”
City manager Pep Guardiola, who revealed he picked the brains of his former captain and current Anderlecht manager Vincent Kompany about Brugge, also insists he will take nothing for granted for the return.
Guardiola said: “I am not going to underestimate Brugge.
“It will not be the same. They are bright, they will see what happened and what they can do better. You have to prepare the best as possible.
“If we are able take three more points, with two games left, to have nine points we’ll be close to qualifying for the next round.”
