(Football news) The current Copa Libertadores champions overcame Al Ahly of Egypt in their semi-final match, while the holders of the Champions League defeated Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan to advance to the main event.
Man City overcame a challenging run of results at home, winning just one of their previous six Premier League games. On Tuesday, they defeated Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0 in the semi-finals, guaranteeing their spot in the tournament’s final and a safe trip to the Club World Cup.
The Citizens had a difficult time breaking through Urawa’s low block at first, but they eventually broke through on the stroke of halftime thanks to an own goal by Marius Hoibraten. Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva’s goals in the second half helped Pep Guardiola’s team win easily.
The club’s triple success and subsequent UEFA Super Cup victory were recognised with the prestigious prize of Team of the Year at the 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards, which Man City won just hours after the match. The Citizens are now on the verge of making even more history, as they are just one match away from becoming world champions and the first English club to win five trophies in a calendar year.
Should Man City succeed on Friday, they will also become the first English team to celebrate triumph in their first participation in the competition and the fourth English team to win the Club World Cup, following Manchester United (2008), Liverpool (2019), and Chelsea (2021).
Guardiola has three Club World Cup victories under his belt as a manager, with the only manager with more wins being Carlo Ancelotti. Guardiola has collected the trophy twice while managing Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
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