Manchester City’s lineup includes Ruben Dias instead of Manuel Akanji, who is not playing due to the presence of Matheus Nunes and Mateo Kovacic. Rico Lewis and Julian Alvarez have been added to the team.
The Fluminense team that defeated Al Ahly will remain the same. The experienced players will get a chance to play, including Andre, but John Kennedy will be a substitute.
Ederson will be playing for Manchester City, with Walker, Stones, Dias, and Ake as defenders. Lewis and Rodri will be in midfield, with Foden, Silva, and Grealish as forwards. The substitutes for this match are Ortega, Carson, Phillips, Kovacic, Gomez, Gvardiol, Akanji, Nunes, Bobb, Alleyne, Susoho, and Hamilton.
Fluminense’s starting lineup includes Fabio, Xavier, Nino, Melo, and Marcelo as defenders, with Andre and Martinelli at midfield. Arias, Ganso, and Keno are the attacking midfielders, while Cano is the lone striker. On the bench are Rangel, Eudes, Marlon, Alexsander, Kennedy, Daniel, Guga, Santos, Gonzalez, Barbosa, Braz, and Lima.
Previously, through PA Media.
Al Ahly, the Egyptian team, defeated Urawa Red Diamonds in a comeback to secure third place in the Club World Cup, winning 4-2 in Jeddah.
The African team, who were the champions, were equalized by the Asian team after a goal from Jose Kante and a penalty from Alexander Scholz cancelled out the early goals scored by Yasser Ibrahim and Percy Tau. On the hour mark, Al Ahly regained their lead when Yoshio Koizumi accidentally scored an own goal off of Ali Maaloul’s shot. Maaloul later missed a penalty, but secured the victory in the last minutes of the game with a well-executed free-kick.
Here is some additional information about Fluminense.
Andre is a highly sought-after midfielder. Both City and Liverpool have been connected to him.
The coach of the Flu team is also the coach of Brazil.
In two of the last five final matches, Liverpool and Chelsea were victorious. Europe has been the dominant force, showing only minimal respect. However, the tournament’s significance is about to increase drastically: simply going through the motions for four weeks in the summer will not be an option.
The expansion of the league has been heavily criticized by players’ unions. The players themselves have not been consulted and are expected to handle an overwhelming amount of work, causing them to have a negative opinion of it. However, their employers have a different perspective. The European Club Association responded with great enthusiasm, stating that it is “fantastic news for club football in general”.
The Fluminense team put on an impressive performance on Monday, defeating Al-Ahly 2-0. However, they also showed vulnerability in their defense. Their style of play involves a lot of ball possession and short passes, with well-executed combinations. We must be prepared for a high-energy game and acknowledge that we are facing a unique opponent.
“I admire the way Brazilian teams work together and value possession of the ball. I have great respect for the essence of Brazil, with its mixture of slow and fast tempo and their ability to handle both seamlessly. I have witnessed this for many years.”
Winning the world championship is a highly coveted achievement. Those who have accomplished it will attest to the special feeling it brings. Interestingly, the tournament itself has never gained much popularity. So, best of luck to Don Gianni for his upcoming 25-day club competition in the summer of 2025. However, there is no doubt that Pep Guardiola is determined to win. He has been in a serious and focused mindset this week. As someone who values the tradition of Brazilian football, Fluminense is a perfect representation with players like Marcelo, Ganso, and Felipe Melo (who is only 35!). Under the guidance of coach Fernando Diniz, known for his innovative approach, some have even compared him to Pep although their playing styles differ. It will be an intriguing tactical battle held in Saudi Arabia, a location that may become more familiar in the future.
Let’s kick off at 6pm UK time. Come join me.
Source: theguardian.com
