De Bruynes late goal seals Man City win at Leyton Orient

Sharjah 24 – AFP: Manchester City narrowly avoided an FA Cup upset, defeating Leyton Orient 2-1 thanks to a late winner from substitute Kevin De Bruyne. The third-tier side had threatened to shock the Premier League champions after Jamie Donley’s audacious long-range effort rebounded off the bar and into the net off City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, giving Orient an early lead.

Equaliser comes after deflection

Orient maintained their lead until the 56th minute when Rico Lewis’ shot deflected off Abdukodir Khusanov, resulting in the equalizer. Despite the setback, City struggled to break down the resilient Orient defense.

Guardiola turns to bench for help

With a crucial Champions League tie against Real Madrid just days away, Pep Guardiola turned to his bench for reinforcements. Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne were introduced, and it was De Bruyne who made the difference, scoring the winner 11 minutes from time.

Guardiola's FA Cup wisdom

Guardiola, aware of the unpredictability of the FA Cup, had warned that his team would face a tough battle despite the significant disparity between the clubs. Recalling a similar upset by Wigan in 2018, Guardiola emphasized the special nature of the competition.

A costly victory

City’s victory came at a cost, with new signing Nico Gonzalez suffering an injury just 22 minutes into his debut. Gonzalez had joined from Porto for £50 million ($62 million).

Looking ahead to Real Madrid

Despite the win, City will need to improve significantly as they face Real Madrid in the Champions League play-off round on Tuesday. Guardiola's men currently sit fourth in the Premier League and narrowly avoided an early Champions League exit in the group stages.