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This midday kick-off in the Philadelphia heat that ended in victory against Morocco’s Wydad AC offered a glimpse of Manchester City’s hopes for the 2025-26 campaign as their Club World Cup defence was given the best start.
It told us that Tijjani Reijnders can operate in the No 6 or “Rodri role” for Pep Guardiola despite being bought to scheme primarily as a No 8. It said that City’s high line remains a weakness though mitigation could be found in their big defensive guns, Rúben Dias and John Stones, being substitutes only.
In Phil Foden’s opener-plus-assist for Jérémy Doku’s second we may have witnessed the start of a renaissance after City’s season horribilis last term. Rico Lewis, meanwhile, will pray for better officiating than the late VAR decision that upheld Ramon Abatti showing him a straight red card: City’s right-back swept the ball away then – unluckily – booted Samuel Obeng’s face.
And, in the near instant takedown of a first-half pitch invader, wearing a T-shirt protesting against Morocco’s cull of stray dogs and cats, there was a sign of the high alert this divided country is on.
After claiming the last seven-club tournament, City’s bid to retain this revamped 32-team iteration was all about victory and walking Guardiola’s pre-match message.
Our season begins here, the Catalan posited, ahead of sending out an XI that intrigued, as Erling Haaland and Rodri enjoyed a centre-circle pow-pow before this Group G opener, then sat back down on the bench as replacements. Instead, their manager handed debuts to Rayan Cherki and Reijnders but not Rayan Aït-Nouri, his other major summer signing.
Rodri’s omission could be filed as odd due to him not having started since 22 September when sustaining a knee injury against Arsenal. He was in need of game time, as emphasised by a rusty second-stanza cameo.
Bernardo Silva – named by Guardiola as City’s new captain – went unused throughout a display that has to be caveated by the shockwaves Wydad, despite being 22-time Moroccan champions, would have caused if they had beaten the 2022-23 treble victors.
One minute and 53 seconds were clocked when Foden stroked beyond El Mehdi Benabid. This ended a move initiated by Nathan Aké’s ball down the left to Jérémy Doku and took in Savinho, a scramble in Wydad’s area, then Foden’s strike.
This was a first answer to how Wydad would fare. A second came when Omar Marmoush, City’s No 9, sprayed a shot marginally wide moments after. In the heat, Amine Benhachem’s men had the same issue many do against City: trying to stymie their attacks. But they also prospered via invention beyond the high line – as copious foes also do.
A Mohamed Moufid raid down the left splayed City and if his pass had found Thembinkosi Lorch, Ederson may have been breached. Then, Lorch, near halfway nabbed the ball and aimed a chip over City’s No 1, but the captain on the day recovered.
Next, a howler from Vitor Reis, City’s other centre-back alongside Aké, whose slip allowed the bright Lorch an opening. The forward’s swivel sat Reis down as he tried to recover but, in refusing the shot, the Brazilian and City escaped.
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The team from Casablanca did not, though, when Foden dropped a corner in from the right: Doku, first time, hit past Benabid and so Guardiola’s men ambled off at the break two up.
Guardiola, cutting a dashing figure in a white-shirt-safari-pants ensemble, refused instant changes for the second period. The decision seemed prudent when the same unit maneuvered Doku into a scoring zone but the wingman could only locate Benabid, who saved.
Then a triple change. Rodri, Haaland, Oscar Bobb for Cherki, Doku and Foden. This pushed Reijnders ahead of Rodri, Marmoush into Cherki’s inside-forward berth behind Haaland in attack, with Bobb on the right, Savinho switching to the right.
At a Lincoln Financial Field just under half full (capacity 67,500), Wydad’s support offered incessant drums and noise. And derision when Rodri flipped a pass straight out, this usually magisterial footballer hanging a hand up in apology.
As the contest tailed off a flare in Wydad’s red was let go behind Ederson’s goal and, then, the card of the same colour was seen by Lewis – which had Guardiola, correctly, furious.
A crowd of 37,446 departed mildly entertained and with City knowing Lewis was now banned, for one game at least, as the tariff can be extended.
