In the King Abdullah Sports City stadium on Tuesday, Manchester City dominated Urawa Red Diamonds with a 3-0 victory, securing a place in the Club World Cup final against Brazilian team Fluminense.
During the first half, European champions City faced tough opposition from the well-organised Japanese side. However, they managed to take the lead with an own goal by Marius Hoibraten in stoppage time.
Mateo Kovacic added a second goal in the 52nd minute, marking his first goal since joining City from Chelsea. Bernardo Silva then scored a deflected shot a few minutes later, giving City a comfortable lead for the rest of the game.
Pep Guardiola’s City, who had won only three of their previous eight games, are aiming to become the fourth English club to win the Club World Cup after Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea.
They are expected to be the strong favorites in Friday’s final against Fluminense, who defeated Al-Ahly 2-0 on Monday.
Guardiola expressed the significance of the final for the club, emphasizing it as an opportunity to accomplish great things after winning the Champions League.
Despite recent domestic setbacks, City were able to outperform Urawa Red Diamonds, even with Erling Haaland still missing and Guardiola making changes after Saturday’s draw with Crystal Palace.
The Diamonds’ defensive gameplan posed a challenge for City, as the Japanese team defended their goal with a strong midfield presence. However, City managed to find openings and secure a lead before halftime.
The second half saw Diamonds showing more adventurous play, allowing City to capitalize and secure the win.
Kovacic, a former winner of the competition with Real Madrid and Chelsea, scored a goal, followed by Bernardo Silva’s shot that found the net. This sealed City’s victory and ensured their first clean sheet since November 7.
Urawa Red Diamonds will face Al-Ahly in the third-placed playoff on Friday.
(Reporting by Martyn HermanEditing by Toby Davis)
