June 27, (THEWILL) – Manchester City delivered a dominant performance to defeat Juventus 5–2 and claim top spot in Group G at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
The English Premier League side capitalised on Juventus’s defensive lapses and an overall gulf in quality to secure the result at the final group stage match on Wednesday.
City advance to the quarter-finals with a perfect group record, while Juventus, who only needed a draw to finish first, drop to second and face a tougher route in the knockout phase.
Jérémy Doku gave City the perfect start with a goal inside 10 minutes, cutting in from the left and curling a precise effort beyond Michele Di Gregorio. Juventus responded quickly through Teun Koopmeiners after a poor pass from Ederson gifted him an easy finish.
But Pep Guardiola’s men regained control after Pierre Kalulu turned the ball into his net under pressure.
The score remained 2–1 at half-time, but the Italian side rarely looked like matching their opponents’ intensity.
Erling Haaland was introduced after the break and wasted no time making an impact.
The Norwegian striker netted his 300th career goal with just his third touch of the game, finishing a cutback from Matheus Nunes. Phil Foden added a fourth in the 69th minute, while Savinho, who earned Player of the Match honours, scored the fifth to seal City’s authority.
Dušan Vlahović pulled one back late for Juventus, but the outcome had already been long decided.
City’s midfield superiority proved decisive, with Rodri returning to action and dictating tempo before being replaced in the second half.
Aït-Nouri and Nunes impressed down the flanks, while Savinho terrorised Juventus’s right side.
City now await confirmation of their quarter-final opponent, while Juventus risk facing European champions Real Madrid depending on remaining group outcomes.
Guardiola’s side remains a strong contender to win the tournament, with depth and sharpness visible across the squad in a match that confirmed their superiority over the Serie A giants.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
