Al-Ain fans will remember the club’s great run to the Final in the 2018 edition of the club World Cup as they prepare for the game against Juventus this week. Back then, the tournament format was different, but the Abu Dhabi-based club managed to overcome challenges posed by Team Wellington, Esperance Tunis and South American heavyweights River Plate, to make it to the final, where they understandably lost to then UEFA Champions League holders Real Madrid.
It will take massive efforts from the UAE side to repeat that feat even to make it to the knockout rounds, as the final group fixture against Wydad Casablanca is seen as the only possible game where they could earn some points. The other teams in this group comprise Juventus and Manchester City, who will be difficult to beat for the likes of the Abu Dhabi-based club.
Meanwhile, Juventus will take on Al-Ain in their first game of the CWC this term, and this is their first-ever appearance in this competition. The Bianconeri have featured in the former Intercontinental Cup three times in their history, winning the 1985 and 1996 editions, but the CWC participation is a first for the Italian giants.
They are coming at the back of a sour season having posted a record number of draws (20), as they narrowly finished in the top four to qualify for next season’s Champions League. They did finish in that position by a single point over fifth-placed AS Roma, and that may have been achieved with the five-game unbeaten run to end their season.
There was also the managerial situation as interim coach Igor Tudor’s future was under severe doubt in the last month. Juventus failed to land either of their top targets in Antonio Conte and Gian Piero Gasperini, which has seen Tudor continue in the dugout for now, although there will be questions about whether he will be there at the start of the new season.
Going by the information ahead of Al-Ain’s team preparation ahead of their CWC journey the Abu Dhabi-based side are not missing any players as things stand.
Ivic will have the luxury of selecting his best lineup for this clash, including recently arrived goalkeeper and Portuguese star Rui Patricio. The UAE side will feature a back three consisting of Kouame Autonne, Park Yong-woo and Fabio Cardoso.
The Al-Ain manager will rely on Yahia Nader and Matias Palacios in his midfield setup, while Abdoul Karim Traore and Erik will take up the wide wing-back roles in the side. Alejandro Romero nicknamed Kaku will operate in the attacking midfield role, as he is tasked with the creative burden of supplying the ammunition to the front two attackers.
In the striker roles, Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba and Soufiane Rahimi, who was the MVP in the 2024 AFC Champions League and Golden Boot winner at the Paris Olympics will lead the line together.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Patricio; Autonne, Park, Cardoso; Traore, Nader, Palacios, Erik; Kaku; Rahimi, Laba
Over at Juventus, there are some positive news regarding returning players as long-term absentees Gleison Bremer and Arkadiusz Milik have trained partially with the team. The duo are unlikely to come back fit to start this clash, although there’s plenty of optimism they will play a small part in this tournament especially if the Bianconeri go deep into the competition.
Juan Cabal is the only confirmed absentee with injury, while there are doubts about Manuel Locatelli following an ankle problem during the recent round of international fixtures.
However, the midfield fulcrum is expected to start for Juentus againt Al-Ain alingside regular partner Khephren Thuram in the middle of the park. Pierre Kalulu, Federico Gatti, and Lloyd Kelly are the ones in the back three for Juventus. Unfortunately for them, on-loan defender Renato Veiga will not be involved as he has left the club after his contract expired at the end of May.
In the attacking third, Kenan Yildiz is expected to play a key role for Juventus in this tournament, while Francisco Conceicao will be preferred for this one in the role behind the striker. Tudor will likely push to select Randal Kolo Muani over Dusan Vlahovic, with the latter expected to depart in the summer, but will be made available to play cameo roles for Juventus in the CWC.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Gatti, Kelly; Gonzalez, Thuram, Locatelli, Cambiaso; Yildiz, Conceicao; Kolo Muani
There’s an air of change at Juventus about the centre-forward role, as the club are ready to move on from Dusan Vlahovic, but may be still undecided over Kolo Muani. With the likelihood of Tudor starting the Frenchman over the Serb seems to be high, it’s a chance for the on-loan attacker to make a mark on the club chiefs.
There were some recent links to Viktor Gyokeres as a viable option to become their new No.9, but any move is unlikely to materianlise before the tournament ends. Hence, this Club World CupC run could be a good opportunity for Kolo Muani to convince Juventus to sign him permanently, as PSG no longer sees him fit into their system under Luis Enrique.
There is one obvious winner in this clash, although Al-Ain have a glorious history of causing upset. While they have a good quality of players who have competed at the continental level in Asia, they might not be a match for their European counterparts.
Juventus are eager to make a prominent mark on proceedings in the CWC, and they will want to collect as many wins as possible, given they will also face Manchester City later. Hence, Igor Tudor’s men will look to get a win in their bag to kickstart the tournament, while they are expected to keep a clean sheet in their opening game.
