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New York Times
14 minutes ago
- Sport
- New York Times
How Manchester City dismantled Juventus with straight passes and diagonal runs
Manchester City look like themselves again. Not because Rodri is back, not because they are the only team at the Club World Cup who ended with a perfect group-stage record, but because Pep Guardiola's side are carving teams apart from out wide again. 'I liked the way we did it,' Guardiola said after the 5-2 win against Juventus. Advertisement Their opponents had only conceded eight in 11 games under Igor Tudor before facing City. The prospect of trying to cut open a stubborn 5-4-1 block in the Orlando heat could have become torturous quite quickly. City made it look rather easy, even without Erling Haaland for the first 45 minutes. Omar Marmoush was the focal point instead. Juventus mixed their out-of-possession approach — man-to-man in the high press, and a 5-4-1 mid-block where the centre-backs were relatively touch-tight but the midfielders defended zonally — and City showed flexibility too. When building up in their own half, Jeremy Doku and Savinho, City's wingers, drifted inside and became No 10s close to Marmoush. This made space for full-backs Matheus Nunes and Rayan Ait-Nouri to push on. The risk was leaving big spaces out wide that could be exploited in transition, by Juventus' wing-backs especially. Guardiola, as he always will be, was full of praise when this did not happen. He loved 'the patience to make a lot of passes to be calm.' Savinho and Doku's narrow positioning looked to be less about getting them on the ball centrally and more about pinning Juventus' outside centre-backs deep. This would create a problem when a midfielder wanted to jump and press a City defender — it would create space for Rodri, Bernardo Silva or Tijjani Reijnders. In Juventus' half, City flipped their wide scheme. The wingers went wide and full-backs narrow. This gave extra cover and set Doku and Savinho up for one-v-one scenarios. City were good at not rushing crossing scenarios (just four in the first 27 minutes), partly because it made less sense without Haaland, and they could wear Juventus down with a short passing game and off-ball runs. That desire for quality runners is something City have recruited for. Last December, about halfway through the Premier League season, (when adjusted for possession) they had attempted the fewest overlaps and and fewest passes to runners in-behind. Advertisement This game, and the first three goals, showed the added quality that comes from Doku when he has Ait-Nouri's attacking support, and how effective a pairing Nunes and Savinho are. City's opener came in classic fashion. Often, the best time to pick the lock of a compact defence is when the defence jumps as the attacking side recycles the ball. Here, Ait-Nouri becomes a second No 6 as play is connected from right to left: Nunes, to Rodri, to Ait-Nouri. If the passage seems harmless enough, that's because it is. But this move was 2021-22 City-esque in bringing the tempo of the game down before immediately slicing opponents open. Ait-Nouri recognises wing-back Alberto Costa is jumping forward to Doku. He is so focused on shutting the Belgian down that he moves outside the vertical line of the ball. The Algerian international splits the back line inside Costa, with a straight pass for Doku's diagonal run. Doku cuts in and curls a far-post finish beyond Michele Di Gregorio. City have good box occupation too: Savinho has locked off the back post for rebounds, Marmoush is on the penalty spot and Rodri has arrived late should a cutback be on. City's second came 15 minutes after Teun Koopmeiners had equalised following an Ederson error playing out against the press; there were multiple times he picked a bad pass and executed it poorly, but City more than compensated in attack. On one of the rare occasions that Juventus doubled up out wide, City exploited it. Savinho and Rodri are playing two-v-three, and there is little protection for Juventus in the left half-space. This makes Nunes the dangerous runner from deep. Juventus are too passive, and Savinho has the time and space to thread a diagonal pass outside left wing-back Filip Kostic. Nunes makes the straight run behind Koopmeiners (a reverse of the straight pass and diagonal run from Doku for the opener). The approach play is excellent and earns the luck of an own goal from Pierre Kalulu. City have four plus Nunes in the box, fairly well-spaced, though nobody makes a penetrative run beyond the defensive line — the biggest downside to not having Haaland on the pitch. City completed four through balls against Juventus. They only managed more in three Premier League matches in 2024-25 and their most in a Champions League game last term was four away to Sparta Prague. Haaland came on at half-time and Nicolo Savona stayed deeper defending him. He almost scored within a minute of the restart when Bernardo slipped a diagonal pass for Savinho's straight run inside Savona, and his low back-post ball was just out of Haaland's reach. Advertisement The third goal was the pick of the bunch for how City manipulated and dismantled Juventus' man-for-man pressing. Here, City show flexibility again as Nunes has moved into midfield and Savinho is wide. Weston McKennie's jump to Ruben Dias forces the wide pass, and City's midfield rotates like clockwork. Nunes' run — for a possible first-time Savinho pass in behind — takes Koopmeiners away. This allows Reijnders to drop in and receive from Savinho. The Dutch international was marked by Kalulu, but ended up between two Juventus players and neither wanted to go with him. Reijnders drives to the edge of the final third in a five-v-five. Haaland has already moved into Savona's blind spot. Koopmeiners has done well to track Nunes' run but his body shape is awkward and — as with Costa for the first goal — he is outside the vertical line of the ball. A straight pass from Reijnders; a diagonal run from Nunes. The full-back gets his assist (his cross for Kalulu's own goal is not counted) for Haaland's tap-in. The win means City avoid Real Madrid in the round of 16. There is a potential for a repeat of the 2023 Champions League final in the quarter-finals: the winner of Inter and Fluminense face City or Al Hilal. 'It has been a long time since we had a performance like this on and off the ball,' Guardiola said. 'This is just one game, but I think the players felt again what it was like to be a good team. 'The belief always comes from your performances, not your past.' You can sign up to DAZN to watch every FIFA Club World Cup game for free.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Man City star James McAtee insists he has no regrets about playing at U21 Euros over the Club World Cup after captaining England to final against Germany
James McAtee insists he has no regrets at choosing the Under-21 Euros over the Club World Cup after captaining England to Saturday night's final. McAtee spoke to Pep Guardiola and staff at Manchester City and made his case to go away with England, rather than form part of City's squad in the United States for the Club World Cup, where they are now into the last-16. Asked if making the final against Germany justified his decision, McAtee spoke with clarity and conviction in response. 'I don't regret my decision at all,' he said. 'I'm happy I'm here and my focus is here and not on the Club World Cup.' Part of McAtee's thinking was that England's Under-21's would give him a greater portion of game time in a summer where his club future is under scrutiny. Competition for City first team places is fierce, not helped by the midfield additions of Rayan Cherki Tijjani Reijnders this summer. McAtee's decision indicated that his future likely lies away from City this summer and he is not short of admirers. Bundesliga teams who were keen to sign him in January remain in the frame this window. Bayer Leverkusen, who continue to seek a replacement for Liverpool's £116million summer signing Florian Wirtz, Stuttgart, Eintracht Frankfurt, Red Bull Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund, who signed McAtee's England team-mate Jobe Bellingham earlier this summer, have all expressed varying degrees of interest. AC Milan, having sold Reijnders, admire McAtee while in England, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Wolves, Everton, Leeds United, Manchester United, Fulham and Spurs have at one time this summer asked to be kept informed of developments.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Man City's lesson shows Juventus need more than Tudor says
Igor Tudor feels Juventus need three reinforcements to become credible title contenders next season, but a 5-2 loss against Manchester City proved the Bianconeri will require more new faces. Juventus faced a brutal reality check on Thursday, suffering a 5-2 loss to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. The Bianconeri had already qualified for the Club World Cup Round of 16 following victories against Al Ain and Wydad and only needed a draw to win Group G. Advertisement Even if Juventus had beaten Manchester City in the Champions League in November under Thiago Motta, the Premier League giants' latest win wasn't really surprising, except for the scale of their triumph. ORLANDO, FLORIDA – JUNE 26: Phil Foden #47 of Manchester City scores his team's fourth goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group G match between Juventus FC and Manchester City FC at Camping World Stadium on June 26, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by) The scoreline says everything you know about the game, even more than Man City's 24 shots against Juventus' five and the seven Michele Di Gregorio's saves against Ederson's none. True, Igor Tudor had rotated the team considerably, starting a few key players on the bench, including Kenan Yildiz, Randal Kolo Muani, and Andrea Cambiaso, and giving, perhaps, a final chance to the struggling Teun Koopmeiners, Nico Gonzalez, and Dusan Vlahovic. Advertisement Tudor reiterated at the start of the Club World Cup, and even before that, after the final Serie A match of the season, against Venezia, that the Bianconeri would need three new signings to be genuine title contenders next season. Nevertheless, the result and the performance against Manchester City suggest otherwise. What Juventus need in defence and midfield epa12014617 Juventus Manuel Locatelli jubilates after scoring the opening goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match AS Roma vs Juventus FC at Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy, 06 April 2025. EPA-EFE/ANGELO CARCONI Gleison Bremer will be like a new signing in defence, returning to action after a tricky ligament injury sustained in October. However, if Pierre Kalulu is the starting right central defender in a 3-4-2-1 formation, then the Bianconeri will need a new face at the back unless Federico Gatti is used on the left-hand side of the backline or the inconsistent Lloyd Kelly is tasked with the job. Advertisement Moving into the midfield department, Juventus will surely need a right or left wing-back as Andrea Cambiaso can play on either flank. On the right, Alberto Costa showed decent developments, especially in the final third of the pitch during the Club World Cup, but his performance against Manchester City suggests he still has a lot of work to do defensively. ORLANDO, FLORIDA – JUNE 26: Pierre Kalulu #15 of Juventus FC reacts after conceding an own goal scored for Manchester City's second goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group G match between Juventus FC and Manchester City FC at Camping World Stadium on June 26, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by) Nico Gonzalez was one of the wingers signed with Thiago Motta last summer, but the Argentine is struggling to adapt to a right-wing-back position with more defensive duties than a custom attacking winger, and has also failed to deliver consistently as an attacking midfielder, contrary to Francisco Conceiçao. In central midfield, Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram appear to be the designated starters, but Juventus need more quality in the core of the pitch, and considering an upgrade on Locatelli should not be out of question. Could Teun Koopmeiners be the man replacing Locatelli as the team's playmaker? Debatable, mainly because the Dutchman has played five of his six games under Tudor as an attacking midfielder. Advertisement Kenan Yildiz will surely be the man to watch in Turin next season. In the game against Manchester City, he set up Dusan Vlahovic twice, seeing the Serbian waste the first chance and find the net with his second attempt. But who could partner Yildiz behind a lone striker? Yet again, Koopmeiners is an option, but he desperately needs to regain confidence and be more effective in front of the goal, while Conceiçao has shown good progress in the Club World Cup. Kolo Muani key to Juventus transfer strategy in attack PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JUNE 22: Kenan Yildiz #10 of Juventus FC celebrates scoring his team's third goal with Randal Kolo Muani #20 of Juventus FC during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group G match between Juventus FC and Wydad AC at Lincoln Financial Field on June 22, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by) Nevertheless, the Portuguese is on loan at Juventus, who must pay €30m to make his move permanent from Porto. According to Gazzetta, the number one alternative to Chico is Manchester United's outcast Jadon Sancho. Advertisement Last but not least, there's the attack. Yet again, Kolo Muani is on loan from PSG until the end of the Club World Cup, and Juventus must negotiate a longer deal with the Ligue 1 giants, knowing that the France international would be glad to stay at the Allianz Stadium. On the other hand, Vlahovic is tipped to leave as his contract expires in 2026 and he has shown no desire to continue with the Old Lady. This means Juventus will need one new centre forward if Kolo Muani stays, otherwise they'll be looking for two central strikers. The main name linked with a move to Juventus these days is Jonathan David, who has already reached an agreement with the Serie A giants but is waiting for his representatives to finalise the details regarding agent fees. With the Bianconeri competing in three competitions again next season, including the Champions League, it's predictable that they'll need at least four or five new signings to be competitive again in 2025-26. The latest defeat against Manchester City clearly showed that many of those who started the game can't be offered a guaranteed spot in the Bianconeri's XI next season.
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Erling Haaland hits 300th goal in Manchester City rout of Juventus at Club World Cup
Erling Haaland's 300th career goal graced this canter of a victory and Savinho's 75th-minute peach lit up a Manchester City display that will be noted by the other big guns aiming to claim the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup. The Brazilian's 20-yard shot pinballed off the bar to make it 5-1 and confirm that Juventus would lose and finish second. While Pep Guardiola's men remain in search of their smoothest rhythms, topping Group G is impressive, and Al-Hilal will not relish facing them in the last 16 at the far cooler 9pm kick-off time. The manager was delighted. 'Everybody gave an incredible performance,' said Guardiola. 'It has been a long time since we had a performance like this on and off the ball. The players were committed and we are happy to beat a top side. In the previous two games we won but were miles away. I'm really pleased because the players have to realise [and did today] what we have to do to get back to what we were the last decade.' For the attempt to beat Juve and make it three wins from three games, Rodri was handed a first start since last September's draw with Arsenal in which he suffered the anterior cruciate ligament injury that ruled him out until the season's closing moments. He lasted 65 minutes. 'He's the best player in the world,' said Guardiola. 'He was missed, that was clear. I'm happy hopefully he can help us a lot.' For City's opener Rodri tapped the ball to Rayan Aït-Nouri, who slipped in Jérémy Doku along the left channel: a sidestep created time and the cleanly struck finish gave Juve's goalkeeper, Michele Di Gregorio, no chance. Yet City's advantage was cancelled out immediately by a careless Ederson, whose pass found Teun Koopmeiners instead of a teammate. The Dutchman pounced and the goalkeeper's cheeks went as pink as his strip. It was as clownish as Pierre Kalulu's contribution when City regained the lead. A lightning Matheus Nunes run was located by Savinho. The right-back zipped the ball over and Kalulu, with no opponent near, panicked and turned the ball in. An own goal, sure, but one forced by this far sharper City. A 60-65% first period possession count was potent: Aït-Nouri, Doku, Nunes and Omar Marmoush, at centre-forward, swapped zones across City's front to cause havoc, the latter's pirouette-then-shot an illustration. Tijjani Reijnders, from deep, joined in too, serving a slicing ball to Savinho who cut inside but dribbled tamely at Di Gregorio. Then, a serious downpour cooled down all in temperatures of more than 30C (86F). The broiled crowd in Orlando – including Thomas Tuchel – appreciated it as much as the players, though the concern in Orange County can be dangerous electrical storms that halt games. But the rain eased, and Marmoush's fierce shot, tipped around a post by Di Gregorio, closed the half. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Haaland replaced Marmoush and a better-timed stab at Savinho's cross would have made it 3-1 moments into the second half. The miss spoke of a player who had scored only once from open play in 10 previous City appearances. But the statistic soon became two in 11 and completed the Norwegian's landmark third century. Nunes, again, was the provider, another sprint along the right this time spotted by Reijnders. The Portuguese rolled the ball to Haaland; he miskicked but it bobbled in, with Di Gregorio stranded. The 24-year-old's second goal of the competition had his team cruising. Juve had faded as any kind of force. The contest continued to take part in their half. Off went Rodri, unscathed, to be replaced by Ilkay Gündogan, and Phil Foden came on for the effervescent Doku. Guardiola's move became seer-like as City's fourth was scored by Foden. Haaland galloped through an inside-right zone and passed. Savinho pinged the ball to Foden, who collected his second of this Club World Cup calmly from close range. Savinho's rocket rounded off an emphatic win. Dusan Vlahovic's late finish for Juve will have annoyed Guardiola – but not for long. Of Haaland's feat, the manager said: 'Congrats on 300 goals – it's good, right? His manager was incredible at football – he scored 11 career goals. I admire him a lot.'
New York Post
11 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
How Brazil's teams — and their exuberant fans — are defining Club World Cup
New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change. The South American clubs taking part in the FIFA Club World Cup have been one of the tournament's biggest stories on and off the pitch. On it, Brazilians clubs have shocked some of European soccer's best — Botafogo toppled French powerhouse PSG before Flamengo took down England's Chelsea — and off of it, supporters of teams such as Palmeiras and Fluminense have fueled an exciting atmosphere for the reconfigured tournament. It has put a spotlight on the passion South Americans have for their clubs and how the support has helped propel their teams during the Club World Cup. 6 Botafogo players celebrate a goal during a win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup on June 19, 2025. REUTERS At MetLife Stadium, Palmeiras fans packed the sections behind the net, chanting throughout the match while waving banners and flags. And the party continued during a weather delay during one match with fans packing the concourse, banging drums and continuing to chant. Similar scenes played out in stadiums across the United States during the group stage of the Club World Cup. Away from the field, fans turned local landmarks into soccer hubs — it went viral when Palmeiras fans taking over Times Square the night before the tournament. All four of the Brazilian clubs — including Palmeiras and Fluminense, which each played a pair of games at MetLife Stadium during the group stage — advanced to the knockout round beginning Saturday. The turn of events has shocked some, but Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola hardly seemed surprised about the atmosphere the fans have created or about the results on the pitch. 6 Fans of Brazilian club Palmeiras pack the stands at MetLife Stadium for a Club World Cup match on June 19, 2025. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters 'I love when I see Botafogo, all the Brazilian teams, Argentinian teams, how they celebrate, how they are together, I love them,' Guardiola told reporters recently. 'I like how all the games are tight, except one or two, and people are surprised, European teams lose. … Welcome to the real world, my friends.' The strong support has been bolstered by fans willing to travel to the United States to follow their favorite clubs, along with a strong base of support already in North America. Palmeiras, for example, has a club-recognized group called Palmeiras Consulate in New York, which has organized a number of events since the start of the Club World Cup earlier this month. 6 Palmeiras forward Jose Manuel Lopez celebrates with teammates after scoring against Egypt's Al-Ahly in the Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium on June 19, 2025. AFP via Getty Images Adriano Branco helped create the group two years ago after he relocated from Brazil to the New York area for work. In a conversation with The Post, he called helping to bring together so many fans from so many backgrounds a 'rewarding experience.' 'I'm having the time of my life to see people that are in the U.S. [and] have never left the U.S. as their first time watching a [Palmeiras] match,' he said. 'I could see a lot of supporters crying, from the emotion of being in the atmosphere of the stadium. And I can tell you that what you saw at the stadium here is the same as you would see in Brazil if you were there in a big match. 'For me, I was telling friends, I don't think I've ever been that happy in my life with everything that's happening surrounding Palmeiras here in New York.' 6 Botafogo coach Renato Paiva. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Branco hasn't been surprised by the support the South American clubs have had — Palmeiras in particular — but the sheer number of fans that have shown up has been eye-opening. He estimated that 30,000 of the 45,000 fans announced for Palmeiras' first match against Porto on June 15 had been there to support the Brazilian side. 'To be honest, I was not surprised [about the enthusiasm], but I was surprised at the size, at the quantity,' he said. 6 Brazil's Fluminense was backed by fans young and old at a Club World Cup match at MetLife Stadium on June 21, 2025. REUTERS The Club World Cup has allowed other fans to come together as well. Egyptian side Al Ahly also saw a sizable turnout of supported during their stint in the tournament and fans praising the unity the games created. 'It's incredible,' said Flobatir Abdou, who drove down from Massachusetts to see Al Ahly face Palmeiras last week. 'Coming from Egypt, soccer is one thing that unites everybody together and having everybody support the same club, same badge, it's a whole [different] feeling, especially in a stadium like this with a team like this, and a moment like this.' 'I met a lot of people from Miami, Orlando, New York, New Jersey. It's a lot of people from different states coming together,' said a Palmeiras fan who identified himself as Guilerme. 6 Palmeiras' Mauricio celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates on June 23. REUTERS The Club World Cup Round of 16 begins Saturday with an all-Brazilian clash between Palmeiras and Botafogo in Philadelphia. Sunday's slate includes a showdown between Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and his former club PSG, as well as Brazil's Flamengo taking on Bayern Munich. All matches are streaming for free on DAZN.
