Predicted Starting Line-Up: Juventus vs Manchester City (FIFA Club World Cup Group Stage)

Yahoo

5 hours ago

Manchester City take on Juventus in their final group stage game of the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup, targeting top spot and potentially a more favourable last-16 tie.
It was the most dominant performance of the tournament thus far from Pep Guardiola's side last time out, as they put six goals without reply beyond Al Ain courtesy of Ilkay Gundogan, Claudio Echeverri, Erling Haaland, Oscar Bobb, and Rayan Cherki.
Advertisement
Having beaten Wydad AC on matchday one, the final outing of the group stage presents the toughest test of the tournament so far, with City knowing that only a win would be enough to secure top spot in Group G and a last-16 meeting with the runners-up in Group H.
Rico Lewis' ban following his straight red card against Wydad has been extended by a further two matches, making him unavailable against Juventus this week as well as the last-16 tie early next week.
Claudio Echeverri is set to be ruled out after the Argentine talent was spotted on crutches and wearing a protective boot around his right foot on Tuesday following an ankle injury sustained in the first-half of the 6-0 win over Al Ain.
It also remains to be seen just how much game time could be given to the likes of Ruben Dias, Rodri, and John Stones, with both central defenders yet to feature too much at the tournament due to a mixture of rest and fitness at the forefront of Guardiola's thinking.
Advertisement
Ahead of Manchester City's upcoming FIFA Club World Cup group stage clash against Juventus, here is how we predict Pep Guardiola will line-up his side at the Camping World Stadium on Thursday night!
Predicted XI
Having rotated the goalkeepers for the last outing at the tournament, we expect the usual pecking order to return against Juventus this week with Ederson starting between the posts for Manchester City.
With Rico Lewis suspended and Matheus Nunes having put in a relatively strong performance from a right wing-back role, the Portugal international is likely to maintain that position once more this week.
Advertisement
Having seen a three-at-the-back system against Al Ain, anything is possible right now as Pep Guardiola tests out different formations, but we believe a trio of central defenders will be maintained this week with Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol all starting.
And continuing on that same theme, off the back of a hugely impressive performance against the UAE-based club in his Manchester City debut, Rayan Ait-Nouri could start once again for City at the Camping World Stadium.
Things become increasingly difficult to predict the higher up the pitch you go, but having sat out of the 6-0 win over Al Ain after an impressive debut on matchday one against Wydad AC, we think Tijjani Reijnders could be handed his second start for Manchester City.
Operating alongside one another, or perhaps alternating between the deep-lying six role and a number eight position, we anticipate that Nico could be issued with another opportunity to impressive any doubters.
Advertisement
The same uncertainty looms over the forward ranks, but with wing-backs in our prediction, we think a very fluid but more narrow attacking pairing of Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush could be deployed against Juventus.
For us, that leaves Erling Haaland with the lone striker role after he got his goalscoring underway at the tournament last time out with a singular strike from the penalty spot in Atlanta, Georgia.
Starting XI: Ederson; Nunes, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri; Reijnders, Nico, Cherki, Marmoush; Haaland.
Substitutes: Ortega Moreno, Bettinelli, Reis, Stones, Khusanov, Ake, O'Reilly, Rodri, Gundogan, Bernardo, Foden, Bobb, Savinho, Doku.