Manchester City will take on Fluminense in the Club World Cup final on Friday evening, looking to win the competition for the first time.
Manchester City are coming into the FIFA World Cup final against Fluminense on the back of a 3-0 win over Urawa Red Diamonds in the semi-finals. The reigning Premier League champions are unbeaten in their last four outings.
The treble winners are undoubtedly the better team on paper, and they will be expected to grind out a positive result here. Manchester City have not been at their best this season, and they can be quite inconsistent. Pep Guardiola’s men will have to guard against complacency if they want to win the tournament. They cannot afford to underestimate the opposition here.
Meanwhile, Fluminense picked up a 2-0 win over Al Ahly in the semi-finals, and they will look to pull off a memorable win against Manchester City here. The Brazilian outfit are undoubtedly the underdogs here. But they have the quality to pull off an upset.
Fluminense have picked up four wins from their last six outings, and they will need to be at their best in order to beat the Premier League side. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of Friday’s Club World Cup final.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Kevin De Bruyne has resumed training after recovering from a thigh injury. But he is unlikely to be risked here. Jeremy Doku misses out with a muscle injury, while Erling Haaland is still nursing an ankle injury.
Manchester City are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ederson Moraes in goal. Kyle Walker and Josko Gvardiol will start as the full-backs, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. John Stones and Ruben Dias will feature at the heart of the defence.
In the midfield pivot, Rodri will start alongside Mateo Kovacic. The two players will look to add defensive cover and control at the base of the midfield. Phil Foden and Jack Grealish are likely to be deployed as the wingers here.
They will look to add creativity and vision from the flanks. Bernardo Silva will feature as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. Finally, Julian Alvarez will lead the line for Manchester City against Fluminense.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Walker, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic; Bernardo, Foden, Grealish; Alvarez
Fluminense
The Brazilian club do not have any major injury problems heading into the FIFA Club World Cup final, and they should be able to field a full-strength lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
43-year-old goalkeeper Fabio is set to start here behind a back four of Samuel Xavier, Nino, Felipe Melo and Marcelo. Xavier and Marcelo will look to influence the game going forward as well.
The in-demand Andre Trindade will start as the central defensive midfielder alongside Matheus Martinelli. The two players will look to break up opposition attacks and add defensive cover to the side.
Jhon Arias and Keno are likely to be deployed in the wide areas. Paulo Henrique Ganso will start as the central attacking midfielder here, with German Cano leading the line, having scored 40 goals in 59 games for the Brazilian club in 2023.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Fabio; Xavier, Nino, Melo, Marcelo; Andre, Martinelli; Arias, Ganso, Keno; Cano
Key Stats
- Manchester City are unbeaten in five of their last six matches across all competitions.
- Fluminense have lost two of their last three matches across all competitions.
- Manchester City have conceded nine goals in their last six outings.
- Fluminense have kept three clean sheets in their last six outings.
Player to Watch
Bernardo Silva
The experienced Manchester City midfielder will have to shoulder the creative burden here, and the Premier League champions will look to him to break down the opposition’s defence. The Portuguese international could make a huge difference in the final third with his ability to hold on to the ball, vision and technicality. He is our key player to watch out for.
Prediction
Manchester City 2-1 Fluminense
Manchester City are the better team on paper and despite their inconsistencies, they should be able to grind out a win over Fluminense. The Brazilian outfit will struggle to contain their attack and given their performance against the likes of Gremio and Palmeiras in recent weeks, they will struggle to match up to the intensity of the Premier League outfit.
A narrow win for the English club is on the cards here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Pep Guardiola and his charges, with Manchester City lifting the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in their history.