Manchester City secured a dominant 5-2 victory over Juventus in their final Club World Cup Group G fixture this evening, confirming their place at the top of the group.
Juventus Struggles After Rotations
Juventus manager Igor Tudor made several changes to his starting line-up, a surprising decision given the calibre of the opposition. In contrast, Manchester City fielded a stronger XI and took the lead after just nine minutes through Jeremy Doku.
Juve responded swiftly, with Teun Koopmeiners equalising almost immediately, signalling their intention to compete. However, the reshuffled side lacked the cohesion seen in their recent wins, and this disjointed performance contributed to Manchester City regaining the lead via a Pierre Kalulu own goal.
Despite their efforts to find another equaliser, Juventus trailed at the interval with the score remaining 2-1 until half-time.
City’s Second-Half Dominance
The second half began with a substitution for City, as Erling Haaland entered the game and promptly extended their lead. In response, Tudor introduced Kenan Yildiz, Andrea Cambiaso and Khephren Thuram in an effort to shift the momentum.
However, Manchester City increased their advantage to 4-1 through Phil Foden and continued their dominance by adding a fifth goal not long after.
In the final minutes, Yildiz assisted Dusan Vlahovic for a consolation goal, continuing the striker’s fine run of form, but it proved too little too late.
Manchester City ultimately claimed top spot in the group, with Juventus left to reflect on a tough outing in which their lineup changes and missing regulars played a significant role in the result.
