Manchester City Vs Al-Ain Prediction, Preview, Predicted Lineups and Team News | Club World Cup

Manchester City Vs Al-Ain Preview

Tournament: FIFA Club World Cup

Date: Monday, 23 June

Kick-off time: 01:00 AM GMT

Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Manchester City, after their resounding win in the first match, are set to take on Al-Ain in the second round of Group G. A win here for the Premier League giants will see them in pole position for the knockout rounds.

Pep Guardiola's side opened their campaign with a dominating win over Wydad Casablanca, securing a 2- 0 win over them thanks to goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku. This win has seen them move to second place in the group level on points with toppers Juventus, who boast a good goal difference. Here, they remain the favourites against the Qatari side, with only Juventus being their tough competition in the group, whom they are set to face in the next match.

Al-Ain, on the other hand, endured a tough start to the competition as Juventus hammered them in the opening fixture. They conceded five goals in that match, failing to score any, as it was a shambolic defensive show. This match gives them another opportunity to rectify the mistakes and get back on track, as it will have an impact on their progress to the next round. Soufiane Rahimi will be key here for them as he has often proved to be the decider for them.

Manchester City Team News

Pep Guardiola made a surprising starting eleven in the first match, starting both the signings Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki. Also, for him, the good news is Phil Foden is back among the goals after a difficult season last term. He is expected to start most of them here, but might elect to bring the likes of Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji in the starting eleven.

Al-Ain Team News

The Qatari side was outplayed in the last match and are likely to make some changes here. Two players who are going to start here are Rui Patricio and Soufiane Rahimi, who have become untouchable on this side. Amadou Niang might start here after impressing off the bench.

Manchester City Vs Al-Ain Predicted Lineups

Manchester City predicted lineup (4-1-4-1):

Goalkeeper: Ortega

Defenders: Nunes, Khusanov, Ake, Gvardiol

Midfielders: Reijnders

Attackers: Savinho, Cherki, Foden, Marmoush; Haaland

Al-Ain predicted lineup (5-3-2):

Goalkeeper: Patricio

Defenders: Traore, Ratnik, Rabia, Niang, Zabala

Midfielders: Kaku, Park, Palacios

Attackers: Laba, Rahimi

Manchester City Vs Al-Ain H2H Record

These two sides have faced each other once in history, considering the stature of both clubs and their respective leagues. They have only met once, where the Premier League giants thrashed them with a 3-0 scoreline.

Key players to watch in Manchester City Vs Al-Ain

Phil Foden (Manchester City)

Phil Foden is back amongst the goals after a difficult season. The England international was arguably Manchester City's best player in the first match, scoring once and also providing an assist for Jeremy Doku. His movements were sharp, and he also linked up the play very well. He will once again be aiming to play a crucial role here.

Soufiane Rahimi (Al-Ain)

Soufiane Rahimi has emerged as a crucial player for Al-Ain in the last two years, and he will be raring to score his first goal of the tournament here. After finishing the 2024-25 season with 11 goals for them, he has shown that he has all the tools to cause a setback here. Not to forget his inspiring performance in the AFC Champions League, where he seemed unstoppable.

Manchester City Vs Al-Ain Prediction

The Cityzens are clear favourites for this clash, considering the quality of players they have at their disposal. Also, Al-Ain have looked defensively vulnerable, which surely Pep Guardiola's side will be aiming to exploit here. We expect them to secure a dominating victory here.

Predicted Score: Manchester City 3-0 Al-Ain

Where to watch Manchester City Vs Al-Ain Live?