Manchester City Crush Al Ain with Ruthless 6-0 Victory in Club World Cup
If you watched Manchester City’s clash against Al Ain in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, you probably saw a masterclass in domination from Pep Guardiola’s side. City came into this game needing goals to improve their standing in Group G, and while they fell just one short of their ideal seven, they still made quite a statement with a commanding 6-0 win.
From the first whistle at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, it was clear that City meant business. Despite rotating the squad and fielding a completely fresh XI, Guardiola's men played with sharp intent. İlkay Gündoğan opened the scoring in the 9th minute with a smart finish after a scramble in the box—possibly a fluke, possibly genius—but it didn’t matter. The scoreboard lit up and City were off and running.
By halftime, the scoreline read 3-0 in favor of the Premier League giants. The second half became a hunt for more goals, not just for fun, but for a strategic edge to avoid Real Madrid in the next round. They needed four more, and though they reached six by full-time, a missed opportunity by Phil Foden late in the game kept them in second place in the group.
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Gündoğan struck again with his trademark composure, while Claudio Echeverri—on his first start—fired in a beautiful free-kick that left the goalkeeper frozen. Pep revealed post-match that Echeverri had been practicing those set pieces after every training session. Hard work truly paid off.
Haaland also got on the scoresheet via a penalty, stepping up with confidence after VAR spotted a foul on Manuel Akanji. Oscar Bobb and Rayan Cherki added their names to the party, scoring late goals to cap off the rout. Even though they missed out on the seventh goal that would’ve put them ahead of Juventus, there was little disappointment in Pep's voice. "To go through, you have to face top teams anyway," he said.
Al Ain, the giants of Emirati football, never really stood a chance. They tried to get forward through Nassim Chadli, who had some lively moments, but nothing truly troubled City's defense. Meanwhile, Manchester City’s rotating midfield and relentless attacking shape kept the pressure high and the chances flowing.
It wasn’t a flawless display. At times, City looked disjointed and failed to show the fluid, mesmeric football they're known for under Guardiola. But when you can rotate your squad, win 6-0, and still have more gears to go through, you’re in a good place.
Now, they shift focus to the showdown with Juventus. It’s a must-win if they want to top the group and potentially avoid Real Madrid. But with this kind of firepower and squad depth, who would bet against them?
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