Manchester City face a very quick turnaround, as does every other side in the FIFA Club World Cup, for the next group stage clash. While no one will actually say it officially, it is clear that the bigger clubs in the competition are treating some of these fixtures as glorified friendlies, at least to a point. I mean how can you not when you’re facing an obscure club, from a lower level domestic league and happens to have a fraction of your budget to work with? Al Ain FC, a UAE club fits that bill to a T. So this we should expect some squad rotation to ensue.
Manchester City vs Al Ain FC FYIs
Kickoff: Sun June 22, 9pm EST, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Competition: 2025 FIFA Club World Grouping G Group Stage Matchday 2 of 3
MCFC Preview Material: Tournament Preview Latest Transfer Talk Team News Starting XI Prediction
Watch: DAZN is streaming it for free, with TNT Sports, Tru TV airing some select games, including this one.
Let’s take a look at what kind of side is the most possible that Pep Guardiola could put out here on Sunday night. We don’t have a true right back to slot in here, so we’ll have to do something a little unconventional here. Rico Lewis is suspended and Kyle Walker is reportedly set to join Everton.
Manchester City Starting XI Prediction vs Al Ain FC
Ederson; John Stones, Abdukodir Khusanov, Josko Gvardiol; Tijjjani Reijnders, Matheus Nunes; Savinho, Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku; Erling Haaland
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter