THOUGH qualification to the knock-outs was already secured, victory was vital for Manchester City on Thursday evening in Orlando. Juventus’ slightly superior goal difference in Group G meant only a win would suffice to ensure that Pep Guardiola’s men had a much more navigable pathway to the final. In the other half of the draw lurked Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern.

In the event City pulverized their Italian opponents, bossing the contest from minute one with a press that was on point and a fluidity to their shape that meant the Old Lady was continually befuddled. Beyond the 5-2 scoreline, the stats tell an even more compelling tale of dominance with 24 shots to five, 769 passes to 241 and Juve keeper Michele Di Gregorio needing to make seven saves to prevent a ridiculous outcome.

Indeed, so impressive was the performance – the Blues’ most complete for quite some time – that it has led some quarters of the media to overlook Erling Haaland’s 300^th career goal, or the headline news that Rodri played well over an hour, doing Rodri things.

Instead, they have gone with the seismic statement that, after a year of losing their way, Manchester City are back.

Are they? Certainly three straight wins in the US, encompassing 13 goals and some highly encouraging displays from their new signings suggest so, but it’s too simplistic to claim that all is right again in the house of Pep. What matters is who it is they’re returning back to.

With their fearless high width, intense tempo, and multifarious means of attack this is not the City of recent years, a side that became so methodical they were almost robotic. This is a team that echoes Guardiola’s early creation in 2017/18 that had Sane and Sterling running riot down the wings, and two number tens scheming central.

That team always gave opponents chances, and were fine with that because they had the awesome firepower to render them meaningless. So too, this current incarnation gifted Wydad gilt-edged opportunities and were undone twice by Juventus.  

In Marcos Leonardo and Salem Al-Dawsari, Al Hilal have the quality to capitalise on any gifts this Tuesday, but they will ultimately lose to a potentially great side at the start of a new journey.

Man City to win and BTTS at 39/20

Having suffered at the hands of a rejuvenated City, Juventus must now encounter Real Madrid in Miami in the last 16, a match-up that hasn’t occurred for seven years. To give some context to how marquee this clash is, their last three meetings were in a Champions League quarter-final, a final, and a semi.

Los Blancos won two of those three but that is irrelevant here. What matters is that the Spanish giants are presently having teething problems at the back under new coach Xavi Alonso, and this Tuesday, perhaps for the first time in the competition, that might prove costly. 

It hasn’t to date, not with the class of Valverde, Bellingham and Vinicius Jr masking the issues well. Even going a man down seven minutes in against Pachuca was successfully negotiated, Real fending off 24 attempts on their goal all the while displaying a clinical edge up front, scoring three times from just eight efforts.

Yet the numbers don’t lie. In their trio of outings in America, Real have faced 50 shots. In their three games prior – against Real Sociedad, Sevilla and Mallorca – they conceded just 19.

Add Kylian Mbappe’s gastroenteritis into the equation and there is real value in Juve’s 4/1 odds to prevail. Let’s though play it safer by focusing on the shots market, with Kenan Yildiz taking on a shot every 25 minutes at the Club World Cup so far.

Back the Turkish talent at over 1.5 shots at 26/25

On Saturday evening, England’s other representative Chelsea take on Benfica and the Blues must consider themselves fortunate to have avoided Bayern Munich who finished second to the Eagles in their group.

Still, the 38-time Portuguese champions pose a hefty threat, a side that have failed to score only once in their last 34 fixtures and that a narrow loss to Barcelona.  

Up front, Vangelis Pavlidis boasts 14 goal involvements in 15 while the timeless Angel Di Maria has scored three across the pond, all the while putting in some splendid displays.

As convincing as all this is the blunt fact that Benfica beat Bayern this week, even if the Germans rested Kane and co.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, we can expect Cole Palmer to be recalled, who Enzo Maresca bravely rested in their final group game vs ES Tunis. Granted, it was against inferior opposition but the game still needed to be won and Cole – along with Pedro Neto, who was also rotated – will come back refreshed here and should feature strongly.

Enzo Fernandez is another individual to note, the Argentine in cracking form.

This intriguing clash however is all about goals and cards, the latter something Chelsea specialized in last term, picking up 99 cautions in the Premier League alone. As for Benfica, as illustrated against Boca Juniors, they are more than capable of leaning into the dark arts should a contest get testy.

Epitomizing this is their Real Madrid target Alvaro Cerreras who collects bookings like they’re going out of fashion. Returning from a one-match suspension after seeing yellow in his first two tournament games, here the left-back encounters Neto, who will take him on, head up, all game long.

Why goals? Because Chelsea have averaged two per 90 since losing at Newcastle in early May. Benfica meanwhile have scored 2+ goals in 11 of their last 15.

Back over 2.5 goals and Cerreras to be carded at 24/5

Twenty hours later, PSG encounter Inter Miami and here we can concentrate on individuals, with Luis Enrique’s front-line expected to torment the MLS side, for all that Miami deserve huge credit for edging out Porto in their group.

Despite taking on four shots on target, Desire Doue is still to convert in America but he’s fancied too against a back-line that has kept just one clean sheet in their last 13. The French sensation has the beating of Noah Allen down their flank and then some.

And look out too for Allen in the fouls market. The 21-year-old has overstepped the mark multiple times in four of his last eight appearances.

Back PSG/PSG, Doue to score, and Allen to commit over 1.5 fouls at 21/2

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