Manchester City will take on Al-Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup on Monday, looking to book their spot in the quarter-finals.
Manchester City are coming into this game vs Al-Hilal on the back of three consecutive victories in the FIFA Club World Cup, and they will be full of confidence. On paper, Pep Guardiola’s men are one of the best teams in the competition, and they should be able to reach the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Al Hilal have been a difficult team to beat in the competition so far. The Saudi Pro League giants managed to grind out a draw against Real Madrid earlier on, and they will look to produce an upset here as well.
Manchester City cannot afford to underestimate their opposition, and they will have to put in a thoroughly professional performance to get all three points. Meanwhile, the visitors are certainly the underdogs here, and it remains to be seen whether they can pull off an upset. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the upcoming meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Mateo Kovacic is out with an injury. Rico Lewis and Claudio Echeverri are sidelined as well. Manchester City will shape up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation vs Al-Hilal, with Ederson Moraes in goal.
Matheus Nunes 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 start alongside Josko Gvardiol at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Tijjani Reijnders will add control alongside Rodri, who will look to break up attacking moves and control the tempo from the deep. Rayan Cherki will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create opportunities for his teammates with his passing, vision and flair. Bernardo Silva and Omar Marmoush will start on the flanks, with Erling Haaland leading the line for Manchester City vs Al-Hilal.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Nunez, Dias, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri; Reijnders, Rodri; Silva, Cherki, Marmoush; Haaland
Al-Hilal
Simone Inzaghi will be without the injured Salem Al-Dawsari for this game. Al-Hilal will shape up in a 4-3-1-2 formation vs Manchester City with Bono in goal.
Joao Cancelo and Renan Lodi will start as the full-backs, and they will look to keep things tight at the back and hit Manchester City on the break. Meanwhile, Hassan Al-Tambakti will start alongside Kalidou Koulibaly in the central defensive partnership.
In the midfield, Nasser Al-Dawsari will start alongside Kanno and Ruben Neves. They will look at a defensive cover and control in the middle of the park. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic will start as the box-to-box midfielder, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. Malcom and Leonardo will form the strike partnersup for Al-Hilal vs Manchester City.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Bono; Cancelo, Tambakti, Koulibaly, Lodi; N. Al-Dawsari, Kanno, Neves; Milinkovic-Savic; Malcom, Leonardo
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won their last five matches in all competitions.
- Al Hilal are unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions.
- Manchester City have scored 18 goals in their last five matches in all competitions.
- Al Hilal have kept a clean sheet in three of their last four matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Rayan Cherki
The Manchester City summer signing is our key player to watch out for. The Frenchman has shown glimpses of his quality in the Club World Cup so far, and he could play a key role in breaking down the Saudi Arabian side’s defence.
The highly-rated playmaker will look to create opportunities in the final third with his passing, vision and flair. Manchester City will need him to step up and open up the game in the final third. Cherki could create chances for his teammates, and he will look to get on the score sheet as well.
Prediction
Manchester City 3-1 Al Hilal
Both teams will look to get a good result here, but Manchester City are the better team on paper, and they are full of confidence and momentum. There is no doubt that they will be the favourites here, and it remains to be seen whether the players can step up and get the job done.
This is likely to be an open contest with a fair few chances from either side. Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet, but Manchester City have a formidable attacking unit, and they should be able to get the job done. A comfortable win is on the cards for the Premier League giants.
