Man City Crush Al-Ain 6-0 to Reach Club World Cup Knockouts
It was all blue in Orlando on Sunday as Manchester City demolished UAE's Al-Ain 6-0 in a dominant display, storming into the knockout stage of the Club World Cup.
The victory, led by two goals from Ilkay Gundogan, sees City advance from Group G alongside Juventus, who earlier beat Wydad Casablanca 4-1.
Pep Guardiola's side showed off their squad depth with 11 changes to the starting XI—and it worked. Gundogan opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a cheeky lofted shot before sealing the brace in the 73rd minute with a composed finish.
'A really good performance,' said Gundogan post-match. 'The result speaks for itself, and in the end, fully deserved.'
City's young talent was also on full display. Teen sensation Claudio Etcheverri scored a stunning free kick on his first start, while Erling Haaland converted a penalty in stoppage time after missing two earlier chances.
Substitutes Oscar Bobb and Rayan Cherki added late goals to seal the rout, drawing City level on goal difference with Juventus. The two giants face off this Thursday to decide who tops Group G.
Despite Al-Ain showing more fight than in their previous 5-0 loss to Juve, they couldn't handle City's relentless attack. Keeper Khalid Eisa was kept busy, managing a few key saves but ultimately overwhelmed.
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