Manchester City Demolish Juventus 5-2 to Secure Club World Cup Group G Standings
Manchester City triumphed over Juventus in their Club World Cup encounter to secure Group G, edging out the Italian club for the top position. The Turin side progresses as runners-up, having squandered a significant chance as they required only a tie to claim first place.
Jérémy Doku found the net within the opening 10 minutes through a devastating run along the left wing. With a single touch to beat his marker, the Belgian winger bent a right-footed strike beyond Michele Di Gregorio to give City the early advantage. Juventus responded quickly and leveled just two minutes afterward through clever play from Teun Koopmeiners. An errant pass from Ederson enabled the Dutch midfielder to react swiftly and capitalize
Pierre Kalulu committed a costly mistake in the 25th minute when the Juventus center-back deflected the ball into his own goal. Manchester City maintained their pressure, keeping Juve pinned back in their defensive third as typical of Pep Guardiola's teams. Rodri's consistent presence following his return from ACL surgery highlighted just how crucial his absence was during the previous season.
Erling Haaland entered the match at the interval and almost found the target immediately as the ball rolled across Di Gregorio's goalmouth. Seven minutes into the second half, the Norwegian striker sealed the victory for Manchester City. One of the simplest finishes he'll ever register, courtesy of Matheus Nunes' assist. His 300th career goal for club and country secured the Citizens' position atop Group G. Remarkably, it came from just his third touch after entering the game - typical Haaland efficiency.
Phil Foden extended the lead with a fourth goal as a substitute in the 69th minute. Savinho added a fifth seven minutes thereafter to complete a commanding display that reinforces Manchester City as contenders to claim the tournament this summer.
Dušan Vlahović managed to pull one back for Juventus, but the outcome was already decided. Second place awaits Juventus and a possible round of 16 clash with Real Madrid depending on tonight's remaining fixtures.
Individual player assessments from the match are listed below.
Manchester City Player Ratings vs. Juventus (4-1-4-1)
*Ratings Provided by Fotmob*
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Ederson | 5.3 |
RB: Matheus Nunes | 8.0 |
CB: Rúben Dias | 6.7 |
CB: Manuel Akanji | 6.8 |
LB: Rayan Aït-Nouri | 8.2 |
DM: Rodri | 7.4 |
RM: Savinho | 8.8 |
CM: Bernardno Silva | 7.1 |
CM: Tijjani Reijnders | 7.3 |
LM: Jérémy Doku | 8.5 |
ST: Omar Marmoush | 7.0 |
SUB: Erling Haaland (46' for Marmoush) | 7.3 |
SUB: İlkay Gündoğan (66' for Rodri) | 6.5 |
SUB: Phil Foden (66' for Doku) | 7.1 |
SUB: Nico O'Reilly (75' for Aït-Nouri) | 5.9 |
SUB: Rayan Cherki (75' for Silva) | 6.8 |
Juventus Player Ratings vs. Manchester City (3-4-2-1)
*Ratings Provided by Fotmob*
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Michele Di Gregorio | 6.9 |
CB: Pierre Kalulu | 2.7 |
CB: Nicolo Savona | 6.4 |
CB: Lloyd Kelly | 4.8 |
RM: Alberto Costa | 6.1 |
CM: Manuel Locatelli | 6.4 |
CM: Weston McKennie | 6.4 |
LM: Filip Kostić | 6.3 |
AM: Teun Koopmeiners | 7.4 |
AM: Nicolas Gonzalez | 6.3 |
ST: Dušan Vlahović | 7.3 |
SUB: Andrea Cambiasso (57' for Locatelli) | 6.2 |
SUB: Kephren Thuram (57' for Costa) | 5.7 |
SUB: Kenan Yıldız (57' for Koopmeiners) | 6.9 |
SUB: Federico Gatti (60' for Savona) | 6.0 |
SUB: Vasilije Adzic (83' for McKennie) | N/A |