Manchester City produced a dominant display to defeat Juventus 5-2 on Thursday, sealing top spot in Group G at the Club World Cup and boosting their chances of avoiding Real Madrid in the round of 16.
The comprehensive win, City’s third consecutive group stage victory, saw them finish ahead of the Italian giants. Meanwhile, Juventus may now face a daunting clash with Madrid depending on the outcome of Group H, which concludes later on Friday.
City’s impressive performance was bolstered by the return of 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, who made his first start since suffering an ACL injury in September. Pep Guardiola’s side, which featured a number of fresh faces, looked revitalized compared to the team that trailed Premier League champions Liverpool by 13 points last season.
The English side took control early, with Bernardo Silva testing Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio in the fifth minute. Moments later, Rayan Ait-Nouri’s precise pass found Jeremy Doku, who calmly slotted home to make it 1-0.
Juventus responded swiftly, capitalizing on a misplaced pass from City goalkeeper Ederson. Midfielder Teun Koopmeiners pounced on the error and fired past the Brazilian to level the score.
However, City regained the lead in the 26th minute when Juve defender Pierre Kalulu mistakenly turned a low cross from Matheus Nunes into his own net.
Following a brief rain shower before halftime, Erling Haaland was introduced after the break and needed only seven minutes to make an impact. The Norwegian striker connected with a cross from Nunes to score his 300th career goal, albeit with a scrappy finish.
Rodri received a warm ovation as he was substituted in the 66th minute, with Ilkay Gundogan taking his place. City continued to press and extended their lead when Haaland’s overhit cross was recovered by Savinho, who set up Phil Foden for an easy tap-in.
Savinho then added a fifth with a thunderous shot that cannoned in off the underside of the bar after Haaland’s initial effort was saved.
Juventus managed a late consolation through Dusan Vlahovic, who finished clinically following a clever assist from Kenan Yildiz.
City’s commanding win sets them up as one of the form teams heading into the knockout stages, while Juventus now face an anxious wait to learn their next opponent.
