This is a Manchester City predicted lineup for their Club World Cup Round of 16 game against Al Hilal. The Cityzens were nothing short of excellent in the group stage as they were the only team to win all three of their matches, including a 5-2 drubbing of Juventus in their last game. They will face Saudi Pro League runners-up Al Hilal, who conceded the joint least goals of any team in the group stage.
Manchester City Predicted Lineup vs Al Hilal
How Manchester City Have Lined Up Recently
Pep Guardiola changed City’s entire starting lineup between their first and second group-stage games but started a mix of players against Juventus.
Ederson returned to the City lineup after Stefan Ortega started against Al Ain. The Brazilian made an uncharacteristically poor pass when trying to play out from the back that led to Juventus scoring their first goal.
Read More:Multiple Overseas Giants ‘Battling’ to Sign ‘Frustrated’ ‘Overlooked’ Manchester City Attacker
Matheus Nunes retained his place in the team against the Old Lady, but he started on the right-hand side of defence as opposed to on the right wing, where he started against Al Ain. After an impressive debut, Rayan Ait Nouri once again started on the left of the back four. Both full-backs picked up assists against the Italian giants.
The only other defender to keep his place in the starting XI was Manuel Akanji, who has played every minute in each of the last two games. He was joined by Ruben Dias, the Portuguese making his first start of the competition for the Cityzens.
The Sky Blues were handed a massive boost in the centre of the pitch as Ballon d’Or winner Rodri made his first start for the club since September 2024. He was joined in midfield by Bernardo Silva, the only other player to retain his spot in the XI, and Tijjani Reijnders.
Guardiola made changes on both wings as Jeremy Doku and Savinho, who both started against Wydad, came back into the team after being rested against Al Ain. Nico Gonzalez and Claudio Echeverri, who picked up an injury against Al Ain, made way for the dynamic wingers.
Omar Marmoush initially led the line for City, though he was replaced at half-time by Erling Haaland, who scored City’s third goal.
Manchester City’s Recent Form and Tactics
City were arguably the most impressive side in the Club World Cup group stage. After two wins against Wydad and Al Ain, some questioned whether the Cityzens would be able to achieve the same result against a Juventus side which possessed much more quality. However, the game against the Old Lady represented City’s best performance of the tournament as they created nearly four times more xG than their opponents and had a staggering 24 shots on goal.
Read More:Five England U21 Stars Who Could Be Called Up to the Senior Team: Including Liverpool ‘Ace’
City were so dominant against Juventus that their out-of-possession shape was slightly harder to discern. The return of Rodri to the starting lineup led to Guardiola employing a slightly more aggressive 4-3-3 formation as he trusted the 29-year-old to sweep up any messes in City’s midfield. This allowed Reijnders to make a number of excellent late runs into the box and wreak havoc on the Juventus defence in general. The performances of Nunes and Ait Nouri at full-back were also very impressive with both players creating multiple chances for the Cityzens.
Manchester City Injuries to Consider
Once again, Guardiola did not offer a significant injury update to fans ahead of the game against Al Ain.
Echeverri, who had to be substituted at the halfway mark against Al Ain and was later seen walking with crutches, will likely miss the Cityzens’ first game of the knockout stage. His manager has not made it clear whether he will be able to play any further part in the tournament should City beat Al Hilal.
Read More:‘I Decided’: Pep Guardiola Makes Bold Call at Manchester City
After he was not ready to start the first two group games, Ruben Dias came into the XI against Juventus and played the full 90 minutes. This will be a massive boost for the Cityzens who should now have their star centre-back available for the entirety of the knockout stage.
Their star midfielder, Rodri, also made a significant step in his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury by making his first start since September 22. Guardiola has repeatedly said that he would not rush the Spaniard back into action which could mean he returns to the bench against the Saudi Arabian side.
Rico Lewis will be serving the final game of his three-match ban following his dismissal in City’s first game. John Stones is yet to play a minute in the competition but it is unclear whether this is for tactical reasons or due to fitness concerns. Oscar Bobb still has not started a game since he broke his leg in August 2024.
Manchester City Predicted Lineup Vs Al Hilal
GK: Ederson
RB: Abdukodir Khusanov
CB: Ruben Dias
CB: Nathan Ake
LB: Josko Gvardiol
DM: Tijjani Reijnders
CM: Phil Foden
CM: Bernardo Silva
RW: Omar Marmoush
LW: Jeremy Doku
ST: Erling Haaland