At a pre-match press conference, Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola was asked about the decisive match of Group G against Juventus and he said: "Our real opponent will start right now".
Guardiola did not mean to disrespect Wydad AC or Al Ain, but everyone clearly saw that Juventus would be their first real challenge at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
And they not only overcome but also overcome easily. The 5-2 victory over Juventus will be a strong statement about the return of The Citizens. They should be considered one of the brightest candidates for the championship of the tournament.
In fact, Juventus caused their own collapse with a series of defensive errors, including a strange own goal from Pierre Kalulu. But it is undeniable that Man City is excellent, demonstrated through speed and energy. They look like Guardiola's side have won four consecutive Premier League titles between 2021 and 2024.
It was a performance that made many people wonder: When is the last time City were this good? Perhaps a 6-0 victory over Ipswich Town in January? Or the 4-0 win over Newcastle in October? It's been a long time since then.
Since arriving in the US, Guardiola has wanted to tell everyone that this is a fresh start, with a disastrous campaign that has gone through. And the win over Juventus was the first proof that he had achieved his wish.
"The players felt that for the first time in a long time, we showed the way we wanted to show. We won the last two matches, but today we adjusted a few things and the performance was really good.
I am really satisfied. The most important thing is that the players need to realize what we have to do to be able to play like we have played for the past decade.
I have a feeling that last season we had a great squad and a great team. But we have had 50% injuries, which means we are relegated and cannot compete. This season, we will try to maintain this pace as long as possible" - Guardiola said after the win over Juventus.
After the victories against Wydad AC and Al Ain with two completely different teams, it is difficult to know City's level. But against Juventus, Guardiola chose a stronger squad, bringing Ruben Dias and Rodri on the field from the start.
This is Rodri's first time playing since undergoing knee surgery last September and immediately showed his class. In 65 minutes on the pitch, the Spaniard moved well and passed the ball impressively.
"We really miss Rodri. He knows exactly what he should do. I didn't expect him to play so many minutes," said the Spanish captain.
Playing alongside Rodri are new captain Bernardo Silva and new signing Tijjani Reijnders. There were times in the last season when City lacked energy in midfield. However, things are much better in the US.
Bernardo appeared everywhere. Reijnders is an agile player and a great passenger. The Dutch midfielder's pass to Matheus Nunes created an opportunity for substitute Erling Haaland to score the third goal.
In addition, Rayan Ait-Nouri is also great. For the first time in four years, Guardiola had a real left-back in the squad, and within 10 minutes, the Argentine created two chances. The second goal was scored by Jeremy Doku, who also left a strong impression.
The Citizens' bright spots are still long. Omar Marmoush led the attack well in the first half, while Savinho scored a beautiful fifth goal. In defense, Ruben Dias locked down Dusan Vlahovic. The only draw was Ederson's poor pass that gave Teun Koopmeiners a chance to equalize 1-1.
When City had their worst moment of the season last season, they lost 0-2 to Juventus in Turin. It is still early in Guardiola's rebuilding process, but for the first time in a long time, a glowing glow of their own has appeared.
"It's been a long time since we've had a performance like this with and without the ball. The players were dedicated and we were happy to beat a top team.
It was just a game, but I think the players once again felt like a good team. confidence always comes from your performance, not your past" - Guardiola added.
