Manchester City topped Group G of the Club World Cup with a commanding 5-2 victory over Juventus on Thursday at Camping World Stadium.
City took a 2-1 lead in the 26th minute when Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu inadvertently turned the ball into his own net while trying to intercept a pass at close range.
From there, the Premier League champions took full control. Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Savinho all found the net in the second half, extending the lead to 5-1. Haaland’s strike also marked the 300th goal of his professional career.
City’s midfield star Rodri, last year’s Ballon d'Or winner, returned to the starting lineup for the first time since undergoing knee ligament surgery in September. He was substituted off in the 66th minute.
Earlier, Jeremy Doku opened the scoring for Manchester City in the ninth minute, but Juventus quickly responded with an equalizer from Teun Koopmeiners just two minutes later. Dusan Vlahovic added a late goal in the 84th minute for Juventus, who secured second place in the group.
Key Moment
Juventus managed to pull one back late in the game when Vlahovic got in behind the defence and slotted the ball home.
What’s Next
Manchester City will face the Group H runner-up on June 30 in Orlando, while Juventus are set to play the Group H winner on July 1 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Reactions
"Manchester City are a top-quality side. It’s tough to play against them, and we struggled today. We have to accept that," said Juventus coach Igor Tudor.
"I'm really satisfied with the performance. We’ll try to keep up this momentum as long as possible," said Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.