Club tournament is pumped up
Manchester City is aiming for the World Cup title
December 19, 2023, 9:09 p.m
Even without star striker Erling Haaland and playmaker Kevin de Bruyne, Manchester City stormed into the final of the Club World Cup. But Pep Guardiola’s team can crown the best season in Skyblues history on Friday. An own goal paves the way to the final.
Manchester City is reaching for its fifth title in the most successful year in the club’s history. Star coach Pep Guardiola’s team beat Urawa Red Diamonds from Japan 3-0 (1-0) in the one-sided semi-final of the Club World Cup, even without striker Erling Haaland. “We were patient and in the end more effective,” said Guardiola: “Now we recover, enjoy the two days off here and then try to win the next title and close this circle.”
In the final on Friday (7 p.m.) the Champions League winners will face Fluminense FC from Brazil. The winner of the Copa Libertadores beat Al-Ahly Cairo (2-0) on Monday. For Fluminense, Jhon Arias (71′) took the lead with a penalty kick. John Kennedy (90th) made the decision for the favored Brazilians. City will also have to do without Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku in the final. The trio cannot be used in the fight for the title because they were not part of the squad in the semi-finals.
In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, City, which was superior in all respects, needed an own goal from Norwegian Marius Höibraaten (45th + 1) to take the lead. 67 percent ball possession and 13-0 shots had not yielded any results up to that point. Mateo Kovacic (52nd) and Bernardo Silva (59th) made the result befitting with their goals.
The tournament is taking place in Saudi Arabia for the first time. The country, which has been criticized for human rights violations, has been positioning itself as a host of major sporting events for years. It has recently invested a lot of money, especially in professional football, and brought numerous superstars into the domestic league. It is considered certain that Saudi Arabia will be awarded the 2034 World Cup. It is the last edition of the Club World Cup in the current format. For 2025, FIFA is planning a tournament in the USA with 63 games in total and seven games for the finalists. FC Bayern has already certainly qualified for this due to its good Champions League results.