Manchester City 4-0 Fluminense (22 Dec, 2023) Game Analysis

Manchester City were just too good and a little lucky to have outplayed Fluminense in the Club World Cup final by winning 4-0 and claiming a fifth title of 2023 on Friday.

City led after just 40 seconds to make it a virtually tension-free match. Julián Álvarez followed quickest to meet a rebound off a post following a shot from Nathan Aké.

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An own goal in the 27th from Fluminense captain Nino decided the match well before Phil Foden's goal in the 72nd, guiding an Álvarez pass into an open net. Álvarez struck again in the 88th.

It gave City a first Club World Cup title and Europe a 16th place in 17 editions of the FIFA continental champions competition. Man City had already won the FA Cup, Premier League, Champions League and UEFA Super Cup this year.

“It was an incredible game,” City's Phil Foden told FIFA. “The guys not only showed quality, they showed heart and determination. I'm delighted with the result.

“It’s very important for the club,” he added. “I'm delighted. It's huge for the club.”

City claimed a second easy victory in four balmy days in Saudi Arabia, even without injured superstars Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne. They also missed out on City's semi-final win over Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday.

Their expected absences could partly explain the empty seats among a crowd of 52,601 at King Abdullah Sports City, the Jeddah stadium expected to be used in the 2034 World Cup.

The victory made Pep Guardiola the first manager to win the Club World Cup with three different teams. He led Barcelona to titles in 2009 and 2011, then at Bayern Munich in 2013 with a team that won the Champions League under outgoing coach Jupp Heynckes.

Guardiola celebrated calmly as he walked towards Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz with a handshake and an arm on his shoulder.

At the same time, a melee broke out between the players in Fluminense's half.

“We faced City who are the best team in the world for the last five years and who know how to make the most of the opportunities they create,” Diniz told Brazilian television Globo.

“They are always perfect, they scored early and they punished us for the mistakes we made. We should be proud of our incredible year and for paving the road that led us here. It was an adventure incredible and there is nothing to say. be ashamed of.”

Fluminense started with six players born in the 1980s and felt a lack of respect when told on Thursday that the British media had drawn attention to the age of their veteran squad. City's oldest player in the starting line-up, captain Kyle Walker, aged 33, was born in May 1990.

Fluminense's most famous player, Marcelo, walked out after an hour to warm applause and a handshake on the touchline with City substitute Mateo Kovačić, his former teammate at Real Madrid.

One of Marcelo's first touches in the match was a careless long pass from the defense that allowed Aké to advance into space to shoot.

Álvarez was alone in the goalmouth to duck and score with his chest. The Argentine striker's goal was the fastest ever scored in a Club World Cup final.

The bounce of the ball was once again unkind to Fluminense when Nino slid in to block Foden's pass through the goalmouth, and the ball looped out of reach of goalkeeper Fabio. The attack came from a piercing change of pace in Rodri's pass to Foden.

The only cloud in City's evening was an apparent knee injury to Rodri, who collapsed on the pitch when Alexsander grabbed his ankle. Rodri immediately grabbed the back of his knee. After receiving treatment, he briefly returned to the game before coming down and leaving the field in agony.

Rodri received the Ballon d'Or as the best player of the tournament and was able to walk across the presentation stage to receive his trophy. City captain Walker won the silver ball.

The 2025 tournament will feature an expanded format of 32 teams in the United States.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.