Manchester City are coming into the FIFA Club World Cup game vs Wydad Casablanca with 12 wins from the last 13 competitive matches. Their only defeat came in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace last month.
The Premier League giantshave brought in some quality additions, and they will hope that their new signings can settle in quickly and make a defining impact in the Club World Cup. Pep Guardiola’s charges are undoubtedly the better team on paper, and they should be able to grind out a positive result here.
Meanwhile, Wydad Casablanca have not lost a competitive match since the turn of the year, and they are unbeaten in their last 14 matches. The Moroccan outfit will look to pull off an upset here. They are undoubtedly the underdogs on paper, and it remains to be seen whether they can upset the odds.
Pep Guardiola does not have any injury issues heading into this game. Jack Grealish has been left out of the squad, and he is the only absentee here. Manchester City will shape up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation vs Wydad Casablanca, with Ederson Moraes in goal.
Matheus Nunez and Rayan Ait-Nouri will start as the full-backs here, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Ruben Dias will form the central defensive partnership alongside Josko Gvardiol.
As for the midfield unit, Tijjani Reijnders will add creativity and control to the side alongside Rodri. The Spanish international is returning from a lengthy injury layoff, and he will look to control the game here.
Summer signing Rayan Cherki will start in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create opportunities for his teammates with his creativity and technical ability. Bernardo Silva and Omar Marmoush will start on the flanks. Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City vs Wydad Casablanca this week.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Nunez, Dias, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri; Reijnders, Rodri; Silva, Cherki, Marmoush; Haaland
Mohamed Amine Benhachem will be without Ayoub Boucheta and Renan Viana because of injuries. Wydad Casablanca do not have any other injury problems heading into this game vs Manchester City.
They will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Mehdi Benabid in goal. Fahd Moufi and Ayoub Boucheta will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit Manchester City on the break. Jamal Harkass and Bart Meijers will pair up at the heart of the defence.
In the midfield, Mehdi El Moubarik will start alongside Ismail Moutaraji and Oussama Zemraoui. Samuel Obeng will lead the line for Wydad Casablanca vs Manchester City, with Nordin Amrabat and Mohamed Rayhi on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Benabid; Moufi, Harkass, Meijers, Boucheta; Moutaraji, Moubarik, Zemraoui; Amrabat, Obeng, Rayhi
Manchester City will be the favourites to pick up a win here, and they should be able to exploit the opposition’s defensive vulnerabilities. They have a world-class attacking unit, and they are likely to create plenty of opportunities here.
Haaland will look to get on the scoresheet and cause all sorts of problems for the away side. The Nowegian striker is our key player to watch out for, and he is likely to make a defining impact.
Manchester City should be able to pick up a comfortable victory here. The gulf in class between the two teams is considerable, and Wydad Casablanco are unlikely to be able to pull off an upset here.
Manchester City have a tremendous squad, and the new players will be hungry to prove themselves. They are unlikely to be lacking in motivation, and they have enough quality and depth to get the job done. The Moroccan outfit will look to put up a fight here, but they are likely to come up short.
