Manchester City Discovers Their Club World Cup Round of 16 Rivals

Manchester City have secured their place in the FIFA Club World Cup knockout rounds following a commanding victory over Juventus on the concluding day of group stage action.

The Citizens dominated their group by claiming victories in all three matches against Juventus, Wydad AC, and Al Ain. They also led the tournament in scoring with an impressive 13 goals. This achievement might have seemed unlikely after Bayern Munich netted 10 against Auckland City, but Pep Guardiola's squad has hit their rhythm as new summer acquisitions have settled in effectively. City had to wait until Thursday night to learn their next opponent due to the final Group H standings.

Manchester City's round of 16 opponent will be Al Hilal. The Saudi club earned their advancement with a win over Pachuca. Real Madrid's triumph against RB Salzburg elevated Simone Inzaghi's team to second place in Group H.

Should Manchester City advance past Al Hilal, they would meet the victor of the Inter Milan versus Fluminense matchup. This sets up a possible repeat of the 2023 Champions League final, and it won't be the only potential rematch in the knockout phase.

Prior to that possibility, Guardiola will encounter the same manager he faced in that final: Simone Inzaghi. The Italian coach took charge of Al Hilal at the end of the season after his former Inter team suffered a heavy defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.

Manchester City's knockout stage campaign kicks off on Monday, June 30 at 9 p.m. ET.