Manchester City thrash Al Ain 6-0 to reach Club World Cup last 16

Manchester City secured their place in the Club World Cup last 16 with a dominant 6-0 win over Al Ain in Atlanta on Sunday, in a match dubbed the “Abu derby” due to the ownership ties between the clubs.

City, owned by UAE vice-president Sheikh Mansour, showed no mercy against the side backed by his elder brother, Sheikh Mohamed, president of Al Ain and the country. Pep Guardiola’s rotated squad delivered a clinical performance that saw them join Juventus on six points at the top of Group G, also confirming the Italian club’s spot in the next round.

Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a chipped cross that floated into the net, before 19-year-old Claudio Echeverri marked his first start with a brilliant free-kick for City’s second. Erling Haaland added a third just before half-time with a penalty awarded via VAR.

City continued their dominance after the break. Gundogan netted again with a calm finish, Oscar Bobb added a fifth with a sharp turn and strike, and Rayan Cherki completed the rout with his first goal for the club after coming off the bench.

Despite the one-sided scoreline, Al Ain had a brief opportunity to equalize in the first half after a mistake by Nico Gonzalez, but Nassim Chadli’s shot was well saved by Stefan Ortega.

Guardiola made 11 changes from the side that beat Wydad Casablanca, giving minutes to key names including Haaland and debutant Rayan Ait-Nouri, while young talents like Echeverri and Cherki also impressed.

City will now face Juventus in Orlando on Thursday in a top-of-the-table clash, with the winner likely to avoid a tougher draw in the next round, possibly against Real Madrid.