Club World Cup – Day 13: Juventus collapse 2-5 against City

Read the article in Italian on ilNewyorkese’s website

A heavy blow for Juventus on Day 13 of the Club World Cup. Already through to the next round, the Bianconeri suffered a brutal 5-2 defeat at the hands of a ruthless Manchester City, finishing second in Group G and setting up a nightmare Round of 16 clash against Real Madrid. The day also featured Al-Ain’s first win, Al-Hilal’s solid victory over Pachuca, and a dominant performance by Real Madrid, who cruised past Salzburg 3-0.

Risultati del Giorno 13

Juventus Overwhelmed in Orlando: 5-2 for City

The final group stage match saw a crushing defeat that left plenty of questions for the Juventus camp. With the benefit of hindsight, Igor Tudor’s decision to heavily rotate his squad ahead of the knockouts may have backfired. The Bianconeri were far too vulnerable against Guardiola’s swift, incisive City, who finished the group with a perfect record. The match ignited early: Doku struck in the 9th minute after a mistake by Costa, with Koopmeiners responding almost immediately. But Kalulu’s own goal and a dominant second half saw Haaland, Foden, and Savinho punish a Juve side that looked out of its depth.

Late in the game, a fine assist from Yildiz allowed Vlahovic to score a consolation goal, but it did little to mask the feeling of a team unprepared to face Europe’s elite.

«Complimenti al City, è un brutto risultato, non ci piace. Hanno una qualità enorme, noi volevamo anche andare in avanti, ma non riuscivamo a rubare palla,» Tudor said after the match. He added, «Si deve dimenticare in fretta perché il torneo continua. Abbiamo perso contro la squadra migliore al mondo insieme al Real. Ma si gioca per competere, andiamo avanti.»

Tabellino: Juventus – Manchester City 2-5
Marcatori: 9’ Doku (M), 11’ Koopmeiners (J), 26’ own goal Kalulu (M), 52’ Haaland (M), 69’ Foden (M), 76’ Savinho (M), 84’ Vlahovic (J)
Juventus (3-4-3): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Savona (Gatti 60’), Kelly; Costa (Cambiaso 57’), Locatelli (Thuram 57’), McKennie (Adzic 83’), Kostic; Nico Gonzalez, Vlahovic, Koopmeiners (Yildiz 57’). Coach: Tudor
Manchester City (4-1-2-3): Ederson; Ait Nouri (O’Reilly 75’), Akanji, Dias, Nunes; Rodri (Gundogan 66’); Reijnders, Bernardo Silva (Cherki 75’); Doku (Foden 66’), Marmoush (Haaland 46’), Savinho. Coach: Guardiola
Booked: Kalulu (J)
Referee: Turpin (France)

Al-Ain Show Grit and Pride: 2-1 Comeback Win Over Wydad with Two VAR Calls

Al-Ain finally earned their first win of the tournament, finishing with pride after a 2-1 comeback over Wydad Casablanca in a lively but inconsequential game. The Moroccans started strong, taking the lead through Mailula in the 4th minute, but Al-Ain grew into the match. After a tight offside denied Laba a spectacular goal, he equalized from the spot just before halftime following a VAR-reviewed foul by Boucheta. Kaku completed the turnaround in the 50th minute, in another contentious action involving a prior challenge on Harkass. Despite Wydad’s protests and several late chances, they couldn’t find a way back. Laba also missed a golden opportunity for 3-1, but Al-Ain closed their campaign with honor.

Efficient Al-Hilal Send Pachuca Home: 2-0

Simone Inzaghi’s Al-Hilal secured second place in Group H with a clinical 2-0 win over Pachuca. The Saudis struck in the 20th minute thanks to a stunning Al-Dawsari strike and held firm under pressure from the Mexican side. Goalkeeper Bounou came up big with two key saves. Marcos Leonardo sealed the win in stoppage time on the counterattack. Al-Hilal now face their toughest test yet — a Round of 16 showdown with Guardiola’s City.

Ruthless Real Madrid: 3-0 Over Salzburg and Group Winners

Real Madrid closed the group stage with their best performance of the tournament, dismantling Salzburg 3-0. Xabi Alonso fielded a young, attacking lineup, again without Kylian Mbappé. Vinicius opened the scoring in the 40th minute, and Valverde doubled the lead in stoppage time after a slick backheel assist from the Brazilian. In the second half, Gonzalo Garcia — in brilliant form — capitalized on a Salzburg defensive error to make it 3-0. With the win, Madrid topped the group and now brace for a blockbuster clash against Juventus at the Hard Rock Stadium.

Classifiche Finali dei Gironi

Gruppo G

Gruppo H

Now it’s time for the knockout stage, with two unmissable matchups: Real Madrid vs Juventus and Manchester City vs Al-Hilal.

The full Round of 16 bracket:

From the fifa.com website