Juventus vs Manchester City

In their final Group G match at the FIFA Club World Cup, Juventus and Manchester City face off at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium on Thursday. Both European powerhouses have secured their spots in the round of 16 and are now vying for the top position in the group, with Juventus holding a slight edge due to a higher goal tally.

Juventus kicked off their Club World Cup debut with a commanding 5-0 win over Al-Ain, followed by a 4-1 triumph against Wydad AC in Philadelphia. Kenan Yildiz has been a standout for Juve, scoring once in the opener and adding a brace against Wydad, narrowly missing a hat-trick due to an own goal by Abdelmounaim Boutouil.

Despite a tough 2024-25 Serie A season, where they drew 16 matches but still clinched a top-four spot, Juventus, under coach Igor Tudor, have shone in the expanded Club World Cup. Leading Group G with nine goals to City’s eight, Juve can secure first place with a draw in this crucial clash.

Juventus are in fine form, unbeaten in their last seven games across all competitions (five wins, two draws), and they’ve beaten Manchester City in their last three encounters, including a 2-0 Champions League victory in December 2024.

Meanwhile, Manchester City, the 2023 Club World Cup champions, started their Group G campaign with a 2-0 win over Wydad and followed it with a 6-0 thrashing of Al-Ain in Atlanta. Ilkay Gundogan netted twice, joined by Erling Haaland, Oscar Bobb, Claudio Echeverri, and new signing Rayan Cherki on the scoresheet.

Despite the six-goal haul, Pep Guardiola was frustrated his team didn’t add a seventh, which would have given them the edge over Juventus for the group lead. City now need a victory to claim top spot and avoid a potential last-16 matchup with Group H frontrunners Real Madrid, a frequent opponent in recent Champions League seasons.

City have lost just once in their last 15 matches across all competitions (11 wins, three draws), with their sole defeat coming against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final. However, their record against Juventus is poor, with only one win in seven competitive meetings, dating back to a 1-0 UEFA Cup victory in 1976.