After another transfer window of significant investment, Manchester City offer what could be the first view of the future of their club on Wednesday when their Club World Cup campaign kicks off against Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia. The deposed champions of England have spent big on Pep Guardiola’s squad in preparation for the competition, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki the most significant additions in the mini-window before City traveled stateside.
They have done so without Jack Grealish (left out of the squad) and the departed Kevin De Bruyne, heightening the sense that this could be the dawning of a new era for the club, one that arrives with Guardiola entering the final two years of his City contract. How he will deploy his new additions is perhaps the most fascinating storyline in what ought to be a comfortable win against the 22-time champions of Morocco, who qualified for the competition by virtue of winning the 2022 African Champions League.
City are one of England’s two representatives by virtue of winning the UEFA Champions League the following year, and even after a down season in 2024-25, they rank as one of the leading contenders to lift the Club World Cup too. If this game goes the way most expect, then it may not tell us much about whether they will live up to that billing, but it does at least afford the Premier League giants the chance to get some reps in before the tougher tasks that lay in wait after the group stage.
Viewing information
- Date: Wednesday, June 16 | Time: 12 p.m. ET
- Location: Lincoln Financial Field — Philadelphia, PA
- Live stream: Watch on DAZN (for free)
- Odds: Manchester City: -2000; Draw +1500; Wydad AC +4000
Last meeting
This will be the first competitive meeting between the two teams.
Predicted lineups
Manchester City: Ederson; Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Rayan Ait-Nouri; Rodri, Nico Gonzalez; Rayan Cherki, Omar Marmoush, Phil Foden; Erling Haaland
Wydad AC: Youssef El Motie; Fahd Moufi, Bart Meijers, Jamal Harkass, Ayoub Boucheta; Mickael Malsa, El Mehdi El Moubarik, Arthur; Nordin Amrabat, Mohamed Rayhi; Samuel Obeng
Player to watch
Rayan Cherki, Manchester City: Having struck out in their pursuit of Florian Wirtz, City certainly saved themselves an awful lot of money in securing Cherki from Lyon, committing to less than $50 million for one of the outstanding creators in Europe. Last season, the 21-year-old averaged 0.52 expected assists per 90 minutes, by some distance the leading mark in the continent’s top five leagues. Cherki’s ball carrying and impudent brand of creativity could make him a neutral’s favorite in no time at all.
Storyline to watch
Rodri looks to get back to his peak: Would City’s winter drop-off have happened anyway if Rodri was fit? The first signs of cracks were there early in 2024-25, but the Ballon d’Or winner was papering over them. Rodri was a full-scale dynamo before injuring his ACL. Now he returns just days away from his 29th birthday, surely needing time to get back to the player he was. Knee injuries are no longer the career enders that they were in the 20th century, but Rodri has over 400 games in the career tank already. Is the downslope of the age curve approaching?
Prediction
This should be comfortable enough for City, who will surely be in energy-saving mode in the midday sun. Pick: Manchester City 3, Wydad AC 0
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