Manchester City goes for the World Cup title
Even without star striker Erling Haaland and playmaker Kevin de Bruyne, Manchester City are storming into the final of the Club World Cup. But can Pep Guardiola's team crown the best season in Sky Blues history on Friday? An own goal paves the way to the final.
Manchester City are going for their 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 more effective in the end," said Guardiola: "Now we'll recover, enjoy the two days off here and then try to win the next title and close this circle."
The Champions League winners will face Fluminense FC from Brazil in the final on Friday (7pm). The Copa Libertadores winners had beaten Al-Ahly Cairo (2:0) on Monday. Jhon Arias (71) gave Fluminense the lead with a penalty. John Kennedy (90') then scored the winner for the favored Brazilians. City will also have to do without Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku in the final. The trio are not allowed to play in the battle for the title because they were not part of the squad for the semi-final.
In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, City, who were superior in every respect, needed an own goal from Norwegian Marius Höibraaten (45.+1) to take the lead. 67 percent possession and 13:0 shots had not yielded any results until then. Mateo Kovacic (52') and Bernardo Silva (59') made the scoreline more comfortable with their goals in the second half.
The Club World Cup is being held for the last time in the old format with seven teams. After a one-year break, the successor tournament will be held from 2025 with 32 participating teams, including German record champions Bayern Munich. The first host will be the USA.
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Despite the absence of Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne, Manchester City is aiming to add a fifth title to their most successful season yet, in the Club World Cup final against Fluminense FC from Brazil. However, City will be missing Haaland, De Bruyne, and Jeremy Doku for the final, as they were not included in the squad for the semi-finals due to FIFA rules.
Source: www.ntv.de
