Manchester City vs Wydad Casablanca predictions: City set for comfortable opening win
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- Manchester City are the Club World Cup holders after beating Fluminense 4-0 in 2023
- Wydad Casablanca only finished third in the Moroccan top flight in 2024-25
- Recommended bet: Manchester City to win
The stakes are high for Manchester City at the Club World Cup after their disappointing efforts in this season's Premier League and Champions League.
Pep Guardiola's men also suffered a surprise defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final so they should be highly motivated as they defend the CWC title they claimed in 2023.
Winning the expanded 32-team tournament will not be easy but City are overwhelming favourites to beat Morocco's Wydad Casablanca in Wednesday's Group G opener.
Team news
Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic is injured but John Stones, who has not played since February due to a thigh injury, is in the squad.
New signings Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Ait-Nouri are hoping to make their competitive debuts for the Citizens.
Wydad have signed former Watford and Hull winger Nordin Amrabat in time for this tournament.
Midfielder El Mehdi El Moubarik is also in the squad despite being on loan from Group G rivals Al Ain.
The stats
Manchester City kept six clean sheets in their last nine Premier League games
City won six of their last seven league matches in 2024-25
City's new signing Rayan Cherki claimed 19 assists in 33 Ligue 1 and Europa League starts for Lyon
Both teams scored in only one of the Citizens' last six games in all competitions
Three of Wydad's last six league matches ended 1-1
Wydad lost only one of their last 22 games in the Moroccan top flight
Prediction
Manchester City's defence stood firm on the Premier League run-in, helping the Citizens secure third place in the top flight at the end of a difficult season.
City conceded only four goals, one of them a penalty, in nine league matches after the start of April and Club World Cup opponents Wydad Casablanca may struggle to get on the scoresheet in Philadelphia.
A 3-0 City win looks a decent bet in the correct-score market as they defeated Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0 and Fluminense 4-0 to lift the trophy in 2023.
There is a new look to the attacking unit with club legend Kevin De Bruyne departing for Napoli and 21-year-old France international Rayan Cherki arriving from Lyon.
City brought in four new players in January, including forward Omar Marmoush, and have already made four summer signings so they may take time to gel at the Club World Cup.
Group-stage fixtures against Wydad, Al Ain and Juventus, who finished fourth in Serie A, provide them with a gentle start and they should ease to a comfortable win on matchday one.
Wydad are the most successful club in Morocco but they qualified for the CWC by virtue of their CAF Champions League triumph back in 2021-2022.
They also won the Botola, the top flight of Moroccan football, that season but have failed to hit those heights since, finishing second in 2022-23 and sixth in 2023-24.
They were a distant third in this season's title race, scoring only 45 goals in 30 games, and lack the quality to dent City's defence.
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