Manchester City kicked-off their Club World Cup journey with a sterling 2-0 victory over Wydad Casablanca, thanks in no small part to Phil Foden’s early strike within the first two minutes of the game on Wednesday.
Jeremy Doku joined in on the action, scoring before the halftime whistle at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The match saw a remarkable turnout of 37,446 spectators, the majority of whom were City fans. However, the Moroccan side’s supporters were not to be outdone, contributing to a lively atmosphere. A late-game send-off of Rico Lewis for a hazardous tackle added a note of tension to the day, but City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, will be pleased with the victorious start.
With a disappointing domestic season and Champions League performance behind them, Manchester City arrived at the Club World Cup with determination to make a fresh start. Stronger challenges lie ahead, however, with Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates and Juventus, the Italian giants, waiting in the wings to test the English club’s resolve in the remaining Group G matches.
Guardiola took advantage of this match to experiment with his squad, introducing new recruits Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, while young defender Vitor Reis was seen in action for only the third time since his January transfer. For Wydad, under recently-appointed coach Amine Benhachem, facing City was always going to be a formidable task.
Wydad’s tournament squad included a Brazilian defender on loan from the Portuguese second tier, a Dutch defender from the Bosnian league, and the experienced Moroccan international, Nordin Amrabat. French international Cherki was positioned in a fluid central role for City, close to Foden, who found the back of the net in the second minute.
Despite seeing limited action in the final weeks of the Premier League season, Foden was in the right place at the right time to drive the ball home after Wydad’s goalkeeper El Mehdi Benabid deflected a Savinho shot right into his path. Wydad, recent winners of the CAF Champions League, showed resilience and created several opportunities that could have rewarded their ardent fans with a goal to cheer for.
