In a dominant display, Manchester City cruised into the final of the Club World Cup on Tuesday, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory over Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds in Saudi Arabia. Despite missing star striker Erling Haaland due to injury, the English champions found the breakthrough with an own goal, followed by second-half strikes from Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva.
The win sets up a final showdown with Brazilian outfit Fluminense on Friday, offering City the opportunity to add another trophy to their successful 2023 campaign.
The first half saw City controlling possession, but Urawa’s keeper, Shusaku Nishikawa, made impressive saves to keep the score level. However, right on the stroke of halftime, City gained the lead as Mateo Nunes’ low drive was inadvertently turned into his own net by Urawa’s Marius Hoibraten.
With the deadlock broken, City asserted their dominance in the second half. Kovacic extended the lead in the 52nd minute with a delicate chip over Nishikawa, while Silva added a third with the help of a deflection. Despite securing the victory, City’s manager Pep Guardiola made strategic changes, and Urawa created some late half-chances that City managed to repel as they professionally closed out the match.
Attention now turns to the final against Fluminense, as Manchester City aims to conclude an impressive 2023 with another major title, potentially securing their fifth trophy in the last 12 months.
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