Manchester City and Real Madrid have booked their places in the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup™, with both teams topping their groups in style. Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal also pulled off a surprise by grabbing the second qualification spot in Group H.
City crushed Juventus 5-2 in a thrilling Group G clash at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando. Erling Haaland was once again the star, leading Pep Guardiola’s team to another big win. Jeremy Doku opened the scoring, and Savinho ended it with a powerful strike. The victory means Manchester City finished the group with a perfect record — three wins from three.
In Group H, Real Madrid showed their class with a dominant 2-0 win over Austria’s FC Salzburg at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Vinicius Jr stole the show, first with a brilliant back-heel assist and then with a stunning solo goal. Madrid’s win ensures they finish top of their group and will now face Juventus in the next round.
Al Hilal, who are the reigning Asian champions, sealed a memorable 2-0 win against Mexican side CF Pachuca at GEODIS Park in Nashville. Star player Salem Aldawsari scored a beautiful lobbed goal, while Marcos Leandro added a second to send Al Hilal into the next round. They will now face the mighty Manchester City.
In another Group G match, Al Ain FC of the UAE defeated Morocco’s Wydad AC 2-1 in Washington D.C. Thembinkosi Lorch was lively for Wydad early on, but Kaku’s classy goal helped Al Ain claim Asia’s first win of the tournament.
The Round of 16 promises big matchups, with Real Madrid vs. Juventus and Manchester City vs. Al Hilal among the standout ties.
