AFP, Atlanta :
Manchester City booked their place in the Club World Cup (CWC) last 16 with an emphatic 6-0 rout of Al Ain in Atlanta on Sunday.
In a match dubbed the “Abu derby”, with City owner and United Arab Emirates vice-president Sheikh Mansour’s side facing off against that of his elder sibling, Sheikh Mohamed, president of Al Ain and also the country, the Premier League side showed no brotherly love.
Ilkay Gundogan put City ahead before starlet Claudio Echeverri netted his first goal for the club with a free-kick and Erland Haaland slotted in the third with a penalty.
In the second half Gundogan struck again, Oscar Bobb rolled in the fifth and Rayan Cherki grabbed his first City goal as they pulled level with Juventus on six points at the top of Group G. The result also confirmed Juve’s place in the next round.
City coach Pep Guardiola said on the eve of the game his squad needed trimming and that was reflected in his decision to rotate his entire starting II from the opening win over Wydad Casablanca.
In came superstar striker Haaland, new arrival Rayan Ait-Nouri, and exciting prospect Echeverri, among others.
