Sunday brought clarity, and a few surprises, to the Club World Cup picture, as European powers flexed their muscles and two Round of 16 spots were officially clinched.
Juventus and Manchester City continued to dominate Group G with convincing wins, setting up a Thursday showdown to decide the group’s top seed. Real Madrid, down to 10 men early, still outclassed Pachuca to stay in the hunt, while Al Hilal and Red Bull Salzburg battled to a gritty stalemate that kept both sides’ hopes alive in a tightly contested Group H.
Sunday’s Club World Cup results
Juventus 4, Wydad AC 1
Juventus is holding strong at the top of Group G after cruising to another dominant win on Sunday. The Italian giants kicked off the scoring with a little help from Wydad AC, who hit in an own goal in the sixth minute to give Juventus an early lead. From there, Kenan Yıldız picked up his first of two goals in the 16th minute, then scored again in the 69th; in the 25th, Wydad AC did keep Juventus from a clean sheet with a goal from midfielder Thembinkosi Lorch. Juventus sealed the win with a penalty kick from Dušan Vlahović late in stoppage time. After their wins Sunday, Juve and Manchester City both advance to the Round of 16 and will battle for Group G’s top spot on Thursday.
Real Madrid 3, Pachuca 1
It took only eight minutes for Real Madrid-Pachuca to take a turn, after Real Madrid defender Raúl Asencio was given a very early red card for a sloppy tackle on star Pachuca striker Salomón Rondón.
Though Pachuca significantly outshot Real Madrid early on, it was the Spanish club that struck first, and then second, as Jude Bellingham notched a goal in the 35th minute and midfielder Arda Güler doubled that lead 10 minutes later. Pachuca continued to hunt for a goal throughout the second half, but then Real Madrid struck one more time, with a 70th-minute goal from Federico Valverde. The Mexican squad finally found the back of the net with a goal from 19-year-old Elías Montiel, but it wasn’t enough. Instead, Pachuca settles for a frustrating loss against the short-handed Real Madrid and has been eliminated.
FC Red Bull Salzburg 0, Al Hilal 0
Al Hilal and Salzburg battled to the Club World Cup’s fifth scoreless draw in a tense stalemate that featured another heroic performance from Yassine Bounou. The Moroccan goalkeeper was named the player of the match after a string of sharp saves, including a point-blank stop early in the second half that helped preserve the clean sheet. Salzburg, fresh off a historic opening win over Pachuca, struggled to break down Al Hilal despite outshooting the Saudi side 6-4 in shots on goal. Al Hilal, which held Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw in their opener, edged possession and generated 19 total attempts, but couldn’t find a way past Salzburg’s backline.
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Manchester City 6, Al Ain 0
Manchester City cruised into the Club World Cup Round of 16 with a commanding 4-0 win over Al Ain, fueled by first-half goals from Ilkay Gündogan, Claudio Echeverri and Erling Haaland. Gündogan secured a brace with a second-half chip shot from inside the box before Oscar Bobb and Rayan Cherki added goals of their own. The win builds on City’s 2-0 tournament-opening triumph over Wydad AC and guarantees their place in the Round of 16. They’ll face Juventus on Thursday with the Group G lead at stake. For Al Ain, who were routed 5-0 by Juve in their opener, it was another harsh lesson against European opposition as they sit eliminated at the bottom of the group.
Highlight of the day
Current group standings
|
Rank |
Group G |
Record (W-D-L) |
Goal Differential |
Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Juventus |
2-0-0 |
+8 |
6 |
|
2 |
Manchester City |
2-0-0 |
+7 |
6 |
|
3 |
Wydad |
0-0-2 |
-5 |
0 |
|
4 |
Al Ain |
0-0-2 |
-10 |
0 |
|
Rank |
Group H |
Record (W-D-L) |
Goal Differential |
Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Real Madrid |
1-1-0 |
+2 |
4 |
|
2 |
RB Salzburg |
1-1-0 |
+1 |
4 |
|
3 |
Al Hilal |
0-2-0 |
0 |
2 |
|
4 |
Pachuca |
0-0-2 |
-3 |
0 |
Club World Cup schedule for Monday, June 23
Group B: Seattle Sounders FC vs. Paris Saint-Germain at Lumen Field in Seattle; 3 p.m. ET on DAZN
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Group B: Atlético de Madrid vs. Botafogo at Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles; 3 p.m. ET on DAZN
Group A: Inter Miami CF vs. SE Palmeiras at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami; 9 p.m. ET on DAZN
Group A: FC Porto vs. Al Ahly FC at MetLife Stadium in New Rutherford; 9 p.m. ET on TBS/truTV/DAZN
