At the King Abdullah Sports City on Wednesday night, Manchester City easily defeated Wydad Casablanca, the African champions, 2-0 to get their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign off to a strong start.
Following a third-place league finish at home, Pep Guardiola’s team was determined to regain their domination in the world and spent no time in demonstrating their caliber.
After a swift pass that took the Moroccan team by surprise, Phil Foden broke the tie in the second minute with a clean finish.
City kept possession and pace under control while looking for weaknesses in Wydad’s well-prepared defense.
Jérémy Doku, who had been active on the sides, extended the lead with a brilliant strike to cap off a deft attacking play in the 42nd minute, further rewarding their perseverance.
Even though there were less obvious opportunities in the second half, Manchester City maintained their lead, restricting Wydad to sporadic counterattacks and speculative attempts.
After a swerving move through midfield in the 88th minute, Rico Lewis nearly made it three with a shot that smashed off the post.
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As a result, Manchester City leads their group at the beginning and is well-positioned to advance to the knockout stage.
In the other Group E encounter, Lautaro Martinez cancelled out Sergio Ramos’ opening goal as Inter Milan and Monterrey played out a 1-1 draw in Pasadena.
Guardiola’s team now leads the group and can advance with just a draw in their next match.
