Manchester City delivered a commanding performance on Thursday evening, dismantling Italian giants Juventus 5-2 to wrap up their Group G campaign at the FIFA Club World Cup with a flawless record.
The dominant victory marked City’s third straight win in the group, ensuring they finished top and significantly boosting their hopes of dodging a Round of 16 showdown with Real Madrid — a possibility now looming over Juventus. The final Group H fixtures, set to conclude Friday evening, will determine their respective opponents.
In a day filled with positives for Pep Guardiola’s men, 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri made a highly-anticipated return to the starting lineup — his first appearance since suffering an ACL injury in September. With several fresh faces in the starting XI, the English champions looked a far cry from the side that trailed Liverpool by 13 points in last season’s Premier League campaign.
From the opening whistle, City took control. Within five minutes, Bernardo Silva’s well-placed header forced Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio into a sharp save with his feet. Just four minutes later, the breakthrough arrived. Following a typically intricate City build-up, Rayan Ait-Nouri split the Italian defense with a precise through ball. Jeremy Doku collected it and curled a low effort into the far corner to open the scoring.
However, Juventus were gifted a lifeline when City’s Brazilian shot-stopper Ederson misplaced a pass directly to Teun Koopmeiners, who drove into the box and rifled home the equaliser with confidence.
City were soon handed a gift of their own. In the 26th minute, Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu bizarrely turned Matheus Nunes’ low cross into his own net, restoring the Premier League side’s advantage without any pressure.
A brief but heavy downpour shortly before half-time cooled things down at the stadium, but the heat was back on when Guardiola introduced Erling Haaland at the break. The prolific Norwegian wasted little time, netting City’s third just seven minutes into the second half. A slick move saw Tijjani Reijnders release Matheus Nunes, who squared the ball across the box for Haaland. The striker, though not at his cleanest, tapped in from close range to mark his landmark 300th career goal.
Rodri received a standing ovation as he exited in the 66th minute, with Ilkay Gundogan replacing him in midfield. Despite the change, City maintained relentless pressure on the Turin side.
City’s fourth came when Haaland latched onto a long pass from Ederson and tried to find Phil Foden. Though the delivery narrowly missed the England international, Savinho recovered the ball and teed up Foden for a simple finish.
The fifth goal was all Savinho. After De Gregorio saved Haaland’s effort with his feet, the Brazilian winger smashed the rebound off the underside of the bar to make it 5-1, capping a stunning spell of attacking football.
Juventus, largely toothless throughout the contest, salvaged a touch of dignity late on. Kenan Yildiz’s deft touch and clever pass sent Dusan Vlahovic through on goal, and the Serbian forward curled a composed finish past Ederson from the edge of the area.
The comprehensive win not only sends a strong message to potential opponents but also underlines City’s intent to secure global silverware and continue building on their European dominance.
