Together with Juventus, Manchester City advanced to the FIFA Club World Cup knockout stage on Sunday with a convincing 6–0 victory over Al Ain. The Sky Blues were merciless right away, showcasing their depth and power with six distinct scoring contributions.
Ilkay Gündoğan was named Man of the Match when he doubled his goal in the 73rd minute after opening the score with a clever chip in the 9th.
The 19-year-old Argentine Claudio Echeverri scored his first goal for City with a crisp free kick in the 27th minute, indicating his growing prominence in Guardiola’s revamped team. Erling Haaland gave City a commanding 3–0 halftime lead with a penalty kick shortly before halftime (45’+5).
Both replacements Oscar Bobb (84′) and Rayan Cherki (89′) completed the decisive score in the closing minutes.
City controlled proceedings with 74% possession, delivering 21 shots (11 on target), 17 inside the box, and dominating passing accuracy (94% of 749 attempts). Al Ain managed only two shots the entire match mancity.com+2reddit.com+2theguardian.com+2.
Guardiola opted for a strong rotation, providing opportunities for younger squad members, demonstrating City’s remarkable depth theguardian.com.
“I took a chance between crossing and chipping, and it turned out perfect,” Gündoğan reflected on his opener, celebrating both goals.
With a 6-0 victory, City equals Juventus in Group G with six points and a +8 goal differential. The winner of the group will be determined by their matchup with Juventus in Orlando on Thursday. If they placed first, they may be paired with a more advantageous opponent in the Round of 16.
NEXT FIXTURES:
Manchester City vs Juventus – Thursday, June 26 – Camping World Stadium, Orlando. Kick-off at 20:00 BST / 15:00 EDT .
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