Despite a late red card for Rico Lewis, Premier League side Manchester City began their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a 2–0 win over Wydad Casablanca, courtesy of goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku.
Foden opened the scoring 114 seconds into the match at Lincoln Financial Field, following impressive work from Doku. The pair linked up again shortly before half-time, doubling City’s lead.
Wydad Casablanca attempted to respond but showed little sign of staging a comeback in the second half. The late drama unfolded when Lewis caught Samuel Obeng in the face with a stray boot, despite having cleanly won the initial challenge.
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City manager Pep Guardiola handed debuts to new signings Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, both starting in an attack-minded line-up. Reijnders, the only defensively inclined player among the front six, stood out as the most impressive of the new additions.
However, the setup left City occasionally vulnerable at the back, with a noticeable lack of urgency in tracking back, leaving the defence exposed. Thembinkosi Lorch posed a constant threat, and Wydad nearly equalised in the first half before a lapse at a set-piece allowed City to extend their lead.
The pace of the game slowed after the break, particularly following Doku’s substitution, though Guardiola was able to give game time to Rodri as he continued his recovery from a long-term injury. Erling Haaland also made an appearance but was unable to add to the scoreline.
Manchester City will face Al Ain in their next fixture in the early hours of Monday morning (kick-off: 2am UK and Ireland time) and will conclude their Group G campaign against Juventus on Thursday (kick-off: 8pm UK and Ireland time).
Meanwhile, Real Madrid were held to a 1–1 draw by an impressive Al Hilal side, as Xabi Alonso’s managerial debut failed to yield a win in Florida. Madrid displayed only glimpses of promise on Wednesday under the sweltering Miami heat at a nearly sold-out Hard Rock Stadium.
Gonzalo Garcia, stepping in for the fever-stricken Kylian Mbappé, gave Real the lead in the 34th minute with a composed finish following a flowing move down the right. However, Portuguese international Ruben Neves equalised from the penalty spot before half-time.
Neves sent Thibaut Courtois the wrong way, and Simone Inzaghi’s side displayed both defensive discipline and attacking ambition that troubled their high-profile opponents.
Madrid looked set to snatch victory late on, but Federico Valverde failed to convert a penalty, denying them all three points.
Real Madrid will face a Mexican side on Sunday, while Al Hilal are set to clash with Salzburg in a potentially decisive encounter for knockout-stage qualification.
It was also a debut night for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who made his first start for Los Blancos since his move from Liverpool.
Speaking after the match, former Bayer 04 Leverkusen coach Alonso said, “The first half was not as good as the second; we improved and had better chances and control. Every game, we need to take positives—we can learn and keep improving.”
Elsewhere, Juventus, who finished fourth in Serie A last season, thrashed Al Ain 5–0 in their Club World Cup opener in Washington.
The Italian giants moved to the top of Group G ahead of Manchester City, aiming to make up for a trophyless campaign with silverware at this summer’s tournament in the United States.
