Man City rain goals against Al-Ain, take top spot from Juventus

(NLDO) - Pouring 6 goals into Al-Ain's net, evenly divided in two halves, Man City took the top spot in Group G and advanced to the knockout round of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Following a 2-0 opening win over Wydad AC, Man City entered the second match of Group G against Al-Ain at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on the morning of June 23.

Against an underrated UAE opponent, who lost 0-5 to Juventus in the opening match, Pep Guardiola only fielded a squad of reserve players. However, Man City still showed their superior and unpredictable strength.

"Veteran" Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring early for Man City

In the 8th minute, Ilkay Gündoğan opened the scoring with a superb half-volley from outside the box. With the game completely dominated, it was only a matter of time before Man City scored more goals. In the 27th minute, Claudio Echeverri - Man City's new talent, increased the score to 2‑0 with a classy direct free kick.

Claudio Echeverri scores from a free kick

The match was all but over at the end of the first half when Erling Haaland converted a penalty in stoppage time to score the visitors' third goal.

Erling Haaland scores from the penalty spot after missing several chances

In the second half, Gündoğan completed his double in the 73rd minute with a cool finish from a central run to receive a pass from Erling Haaland.

Gundogan completes double

At the end of the match, Oscar Bobb scored in the 84th minute and Rayan Cherki scored in the 89th minute, closing out a resounding 6-0 victory for Man City. Statistics showed that Man City completely dominated with possession, chances and superior number of touches.

The team played at a high tempo despite using many substitutes, showing the impressive squad depth under Pep Guardiola.

Oscar Bobb scores

Rayan Cherki makes it 6-0 for Man City

This victory helped Man City gain 6 points after two matches, officially entering the knockout round as the top team of Group G, ready to compete for the top spot in the official group with Juventus (also with 6 points but with a lower goal difference) in the direct confrontation in the early morning of June 27.

Man City determined to go deep in the tournament

Coach Guardiola shared after the match: "We were not subjective even though we met a team at a lower level. The whole team played the right style: controlling, pressing and taking advantage of opportunities. Now, the goal is to prepare well for the decisive match with Juventus."

Source: https://nld.com.vn/man-city-doi-mua-ban-thang-truoc-al-ain-soan-ngoi-dau-bang-tu-tay-juventus-196250623102653183.htm