Manchester City storm past Al Ain to book Club World Cup knockout spot

New Delhi: Manchester City comfortably secured their place in the last 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup with a commanding 6-0 win over UAE champions Al Ain in Atlanta. Despite making a fully rotated starting eleven, Pep Guardiola’s side barely broke a sweat under the closed roof of the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring line just eight minutes into the game. He was followed by teenager Claudio Echeverri, who marked his first senior start with a stunning free-kick goal, curling the ball home from the edge in the 27th minute.

Deep into first-half stoppage time, star striker Erling Haaland calmly converted a penalty after a VAR review confirmed a foul on Manuel Akanji, giving City a 3-0 lead heading into the break.

Three up at the half! 👏

🤍 3-0 🟢 #FIFACWC | LIVE on https://t.co/qHE6dSCgcV pic.twitter.com/hkM5G5THwD

— Manchester City (@ManCity)

Man City continued their dominance in the second half as Gundogan once again stood up and added another one with a delightful chip in the 73rd minute, capping off a noteworthy performance. He was followed by Oscar Bobb, who returned from injury and cut inside to score with precision at the near post.

Within five minutes, Rayan Cherki also got himself on the scoresheet, registering his first goal for the club, completing the 6-0 rout.

Rayan Cherki’s first goal for Manchester City 💫

It’s not just the finish it’s the dummy and the movement. parfait 👌 pic.twitter.com/1z10DHZlNA

— The City Shack (@thecityshack)

What’s next?

With two wins from two, City now face Juventus in a crucial Group G decider. The winner will top the group and likely avoid Group H leaders Real Madrid in the Round of 16. Meanwhile, Al Ain exited the tournament after back-to-back defeats.

City’s ruthless form and squad depth once again proved too much, with Guardiola now eyeing a deep run in the competition as they seek yet another international trophy to add to their growing cabinet.