Philadelphia: Manchester City began their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory against Wydad AC in Philadelphia.
Multitime Premier League champions fielded their two new signings, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, while new captain Bernardo Silva remained on the bench.
City's first goal came in only two minutes on Wednesday (local time), as goalkeeper El Mehdi Benabid could only palm Savinho's cross before Phil Foden put the ball into the net, making the tournament's quickest goal so far.
Wydad, on the other hand, reacted well, with South African midfielder Thembinkosi Lorch making an ambitious attempt that forced Ederson to backpedal. The goalkeeper then made a good save, keeping Cassius Mailula from scoring.
Jeremy Doku increased the advantage in the 42nd minute, smashing in Foden's corner just before halftime, demotivating the Moroccans.
After halftime, City manager Pep Guardiola substituted Erling Haaland and Rodri just before the hour mark. City was able to finish the game without any trouble for the scorekeepers or statisticians.
After the game, Foden stated, "I'm very happy for the team to start the tournament with a win," according to FIFA's official website. It was occasionally challenging due to the heat. They were a great counterattacking team. The tournament is extremely vital for all players, not only myself. It's critical to maintain your sharpness in this major competition.
City coach Guardiola said that the first game of the group stage is always difficult. We learn from this, and the second one will be better. The season will be lengthy, but it is vital to be present.
Wydad's Fahd Moufi remarked, "We did a good job against a team as big as Manchester City," despite the loss. I believe we represented Morocco and the Wydad supporters well in this encounter. We must build on this effort by seeking for a favorable outcome versus Juventus in our next match.
