Man City maintain unbeaten record at Club World Cup
Man City maintain unbeaten record at Club World Cup
Jeremy Doku opened the scoring for Manchester City nine minutes into the match. Photo: Reuters
Manchester City turned on the style to seal top spot in Group G at the Club World Cup with an emphatic 5-2 win over Juventus.
The third straight victory for Pep Guardiola's side increases the chances of City avoiding a meeting with Real Madrid in the last 16 – a fate that may now await Juventus.
City and Juve will not know their opponent until the final pair of games in Group H conclude later on Friday.
A positive day for City saw 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri make his first start since rupturing his ACL in September and Guardiola's side, featuring several new faces, look significantly improved on the team which struggled to finish 13 points behind Premier League champions Liverpool last season.
City were on top from the outset with a Bernardo Silva header forcing Juve keeper Michele Di Gregorio to save with his feet in the fifth minute.
Four minutes later, Guardiola's new-look side had the lead when after a characteristic, patient build-up, Rayan Ait-Nouri split the Juve defence with a superb pass which Jeremy Doku collected and dispatched into the far corner.
Juve were gifted an equaliser when City's Brazilian keeper Ederson's pass out was intercepted by Teun Koopmeiners who marched into the box and confidently fired home.
Juve returned the gift though in the 26th minute when French defender Pierre Kalulu, under no pressure, turned a low cross from Matheus Nunes into his own net.
A short but intense downpour just before half-time cooled the stadium down and Guardiola introduced his prolific Norwegian striker Erling Haaland at the break and it took just seven minutes for him to find the scoresheet. (AFP)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
8 hours ago
- RTHK
Palmeiras edge out Botafogo for quarter-final spot
Palmeiras edge out Botafogo for quarter-final spot Paulinho (left) of Palmeiras celebrates his goal. Photo: Reuters Substitute Paulinho scored an extra-time winner to settle a Brazilian battle of attrition as Palmeiras edged Botafogo 1-0 on Saturday to win through to the Club World Cup quarter-finals. The winger came on at the same time in the second half as Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira withdrew teenage sensation Estevao Willian, a move that appeared baffling at the time but ultimately proved inspired. The tie had reached the 100th minute when Paulinho collected a pass by Richard Rios on the right flank and was afforded the time and space to come inside into the box before slotting a low shot into the far corner. That sparked wild celebrations among the Palmeiras fans who made up the vast majority of the 33,657 crowd inside Lincoln Financial Field, and the side from Sao Paulo held on to win the last-16 showdown despite having captain Gustavo Gomez sent off late on. "I am really happy. Luckily I managed to get the goal," the former Bayer Leverkusen player, who has struggled with injury since signing for Palmeiras at the start of the year, told broadcaster DAZN. "The coach is doing all he can to help me settle into the squad in this difficult time for me, because I had a serious injury which still causes me pain. "There is no time to feel sorry for yourself in this competition. You have to make things happen and that is what I am doing." Winners of the Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021, Palmeiras will now stay in Philadelphia for a last-eight tie next Friday against either Benfica or Chelsea, who meet later Saturday in Charlotte. They had been the more dangerous side throughout in this meeting of the top two in last year's Brazilian league, with almost all of the chances falling the way of the men in green. Rio de Janeiro side Botafogo pipped Palmeiras to the domestic title and also won the Copa Libertadores for the first time in their history in 2024. They then lost their coach and several key players, but still managed to beat European champions Paris Saint-Germain during the group stage of the Club World Cup as they qualified for the knockout phase ahead of Atletico Madrid. Nevertheless Palmeiras were the more lively of the two teams in a game played in warm midday conditions in Philadelphia. All eyes were on Estevao, the 18-year-old winger who will join Chelsea once the tournament is over and is seen as Brazil's next big thing. He found it hard to make an impact in what was for long spells a disappointing game pockmarked by moments of quality. Colombian midfielder Rios came close to scoring in first-half stoppage time with a thunderous shot from the edge of the box that was deflected onto the roof of the net. Estevao then came to life after the restart, forcing a good save from Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor and then putting the ball in the net only to be denied by an offside flag. There was surprise around the stadium when the starlet was taken off just after the hour alongside striker Vitor Roque, with Luighi and Paulinho sent into the attack. A Mauricio header from a Joaquin Piquerez cross was tipped over and Paulinho then blazed high from a good position as normal time ended goalless. Into the extra half-hour they went. A Rios pile-driver was parried behind before the goal finally arrived thanks to the once-capped Brazil winger who played in the Atletico Mineiro side beaten by Botafogo in last year's Libertadores final. The substitute was then promptly substituted, his job done for the day. Botafogo pushed for an equaliser that would have led to penalties, but could not find it even after Paraguayan centre-back Gomez walked for a second booking in the 116th minute for grappling off the ball with Alexander Barboza. (AFP)
RTHK
8 hours ago
- RTHK
Extra-time goal flurry sees Chelsea beat Benfica 4-1
Extra-time goal flurry sees Chelsea beat Benfica 4-1 Chelsea's Italian head coach Enzo Maresca celebrates his team's victory. Photo: AFP Chelsea beat Benfica in a game which went on for close to five hours at the Club World Cup on Saturday to set up a quarter-final showdown with Brazilian side Palmeiras at the tournament in the United States. The London club were grateful to extra-time goals by Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to give them a 4-1 victory over Benfica. Their late burst of scoring settled a last-16 tie which took four hours, 39 minutes to complete at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina after a near two-hour weather delay. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was left satisfied with his team's victory but slammed the delay that turned the tie into a near five-hour marathon. "I think it's a joke, it's not football," Maresca said. "For 85 minutes we were in control of the game. We created enough chances to win the game. Then after the break, the game changed -- for me personally, it's not football." Earlier, Chelsea had been seemingly poised for victory after Reece James' opportunistic second-half free-kick had left them 1-0 up with four minutes of regulation time remaining. But just as Chelsea began to think about their quarter-final assignment, the arrival of a storm over Charlotte triggered local safety protocols which required the game to be halted. It marked the sixth occasion during the Club World Cup that a game has been disrupted by a weather warning. When play resumed just under two hours later, a revitalised Benfica grabbed an injury-time equaliser after Chelsea substitute Malo Gusto was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area following an intervention by the Video Assistant Referee. Benfica's Argentine veteran Angel Di Maria stepped up to roll in an ice-cold penalty, sending the game into extra time. An end-to-end first half of extra time saw Benfica, reduced to 10 men following Gianluca Prestianni's second yellow card at the end of regulation, threaten to take the lead as they chased an improbable victory. But instead it was Nkunku who fired Chelsea back in front, the French international bundling in from close range after Moises Caicedo's low shot squirted underneath Benfica goalkeeper Antoliy Trubin. As the game opened up, Benfica were increasingly vulnerable on the counter-attack and Chelsea pounced. Neto made it 3-1 with a nerveless finish after going clean through on goal in the 114th minute, and three minutes later Dewsbury-Hall completed the rout to send Chelsea through to the last eight. They will now return to Philadelphia, where they played two games in the group stage, to play Palmeiras in the quarter-finals on Friday. The Brazilian club were grateful to an extra-time winner by substitute Paulinho as they edged domestic rivals Botafogo 1-0 in a battle of attrition earlier Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The winger came on at the same time in the second half as Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira withdrew teenage sensation Estevao Willian, a move that appeared baffling in the moment but ultimately proved inspired. The tie had reached the 100th minute without a goal when Paulinho collected a pass by Richard Rios on the right flank and was afforded the time and space to come inside into the box before slotting a low shot into the far corner. That sparked wild celebrations among the Palmeiras fans who made up the vast majority of the 33,657 crowd, and the side from Sao Paulo held on to win the tie despite having captain Gustavo Gomez sent off late on. "That is why he came, so he could play for long enough to decide a game. He is going to have to stop again after the tournament," Ferreira said of Paulinho, who has struggled with injury since signing for Palmeiras at the start of the year. Winners of the Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021, Palmeiras will now hope to match the feat of their Brazilian rivals Flamengo, who defeated Chelsea during the group stage. The last-16 action continues on Sunday when European champions Paris Saint-Germain take on Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in Atlanta. Later on Bayern Munich face Flamengo in Miami. (AFP)
RTHK
2 days ago
- RTHK
Van Nistelrooy out of job after Leicester's relegation
Van Nistelrooy out of job after Leicester's relegation Ruud van Nistelrooy managed only five wins during his tenure at Leicester City. File photo: Reuters Leicester City have parted ways with manager Ruud van Nistelrooy by mutual agreement after the team were relegated from the Premier League last season, the club said on Friday. Former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker Van Nistelrooy joined Leicester in November with the side struggling in 16th place in the table. They ended the campaign in 18th. The 48-year-old won his first match in charge but was unable to turn Leicester's season around, winning only five matches during his tenure as they finished 13 points from safety and returned to the Championship. "Ruud has overseen a challenging period for the club," Leicester said in a statement. "[He] moves on with the respect and thanks of everyone at the football club for his dedication and hard work, and with our very best wishes for the future." Regarded as one of the Premier League's best strikers ever, Van Nistelrooy previously led PSV Eindhoven to the Dutch Cup as manager before joining compatriot Erik Ten Hag's United staff as an assistant coach. He served as interim coach at Old Trafford after Ten Hag was fired, until new manager Ruben Amorim took charge. 'I would like to personally thank the Leicester City players, coaches, academy and all the staff I have worked with for their professionalism and dedication during my time at the club," Van Nistelrooy said in a statement. The first-team coaching staff will oversee the start of pre-season until a new manager is appointed, Leicester added. (Reuters)
