Man.City put aside their troubles on the domestic front to overcome Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0 in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals on Tuesday, and are just one game away from winning the title. Thursday in 2023.
The European champions have never lost to the Asian champions at the FIFA Club World Cup, and again there was no danger on a balmy evening in the port city of Jeddah. However, Man.City had to wait until injury time of the first half to score the opening goal, when defender Marius Hoibraten scored an own goal after a cross-goal pass from Matheus Nunes. Just seven minutes after the break, Mateo Kovacic increased the lead before Bernardo Silva sealed victory in the 59th minute. Man.City will now face South American champions Fluminense of Brazil in the final on Thursday.
Coach Pep Guardiola’s team entered the tournament with many feelings of disappointment from the decline in the Premier League, where the defending champion won only one of the last six matches and conceded late goals. But in the international arena it is a different picture, their debut at the FIFA Club World Cup has helped Man.City have a perfect record outside of England this season – previously beating Sevilla to win the title. European Super Cup, in addition to a winning record in the Chamions League group stage,
With Erling Haaland still sidelined due to a foot injury, coach Guardiola also unexpectedly left striker Julian Alvarez on the bench. But the match between the team that finished fourth in the English championship and the team that finished fourth in the Japanese championship showed a much wider gap. On Friday, another Euro-South American final, the 13th in 19 editions, will decide the final FIFA Club World Cup title under the seven-team format that began in 2005.
Man.City is a strong candidate to win the 5th trophy in 2023, but coach Guardiola warned his team not to take it for granted: “We will go to dinner together, create create an environment where everyone knows how important Friday’s final is for the club. As I said, to play this final you have to do incredible things, you have to win the Champions League. While we’re here, it’s a title you only get once in your life. Being here is unbelievable for us, we don’t take it for granted, we know we probably won’t come back again.”
Meanwhile, Man.City also informed FIFA that striker Erling Haaland and midfielder Kevin De Bruyne will not participate in the final because they are not ready after injury.