Result Manchester City 2 – 0 WAC Casablanca, Wednesday 18 June 2025, FIFA Club World Cup Group Stage

FIFA Club World Cup

Result Manchester City 2 – 0 WAC Casablanca, Wednesday 18 June 2025, FIFA Club World Cup Group Stage

Manchester City beat WAC Casablanca in the Group Stage of the FIFA Club World Cup on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA.  Manchester City kicked off their journey with a solid 2-0 win against Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca.  The win was secured by first-half goals from Phil Foden and Jérémy Doku.

Coach Pep Guardiola chose to rest several key players, including Erling Haaland, Rodri, Rúben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol, and John Stones. Even with a second-string lineup, City took less than two minutes to score.

In the 2nd minute, Phil Foden capitalized on a cross from Savinho that was deflected by Wydad goalkeeper Mehdi Benabid, with the England midfielder firing a first-time shot into the net to give City an early lead.

City extended their lead in the 42nd minute when Foden executed a precise corner kick, and Jérémy Doku caught the Wydad defense off guard to volley in at the far post.

Manchester City ended the match with 10 players after Rico Lewis received a straight red card for a reckless tackle on Samuel Obeng in the 88th minute.

Summer signings Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders made their debuts for City as starters, while the club’s other new signing, defender Rayan Ait-Nouri, did not feature. Wydad, unfazed by the early goal, displayed resilience and posed a threat on the counterattack, with forward Cassius Mailula almost equalizing with a daring lob from midfield in the 15th minute.

Photo via x.com/FIFACWC

Stats before the game

Currently, Manchester City is enjoying a strong run, having achieved victories over Fulham and Bournemouth, and they aim to maintain this momentum with a win against WAC Casablanca.

On the other hand, WAC Casablanca is gearing up for the match following a defeat to Union de Touarga in the Excellence Cup on June 10. Their defense is a point of concern, as they have allowed goals in each of their last four games.

Match Officials

Manchester City – Wydad Casablanca

Referee: Ramon Abatti BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Danilo Manis BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Alves BRA
Fourth Official: Ma Ning CHN
VAR: Juan Soto VEN
AVAR: Erick Miranda MEX
SVAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP

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