Juventus is now set to face Real Madrid in the Round of 16 of the Club World Cup following a heavy 5-2 defeat to Manchester City, which left them as runners-up in Group G.
Both teams had already secured their places in the knockout stage after winning their first two matches against Wydad and Al-Ain, turning this clash into a battle for the top position. The Bianconeri, having scored one more goal than City, could afford a draw and opted for six changes, including the return of Dusan Vlahovic and Filip Kostić, who made his first appearance in over a year since his loan to Fenerbahce. Meanwhile, City welcomed back Ballon d'Or winner Rodri for his first start since suffering a severe knee injury in September 2024, although Erling Haaland began the match on the bench.
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The match began with a warning sign for Juventus as Michele Di Gregorio denied Bernardo Silva early on after Rayan Ait-Nouri outpaced Manuel Locatelli down the left flank. Shortly after, Ait-Nouri capitalized on Alberto Costa's lapse in concentration, allowing Jeremy Doku to cut inside Pierre Kalulu and find the far bottom corner.
Juventus squandered a prime opportunity to equalize when Vlahovic scuffed a shot from 12 yards after a well-placed roll from Costa. Just moments later, Ederson misplayed a ball from the back, allowing Teun Koopmeiners to intercept and score from a tight angle.
The mistakes continued for Juventus as Kalulu, unmarked, deflected a pull-back from Matheus Nunes into his own net from eight yards out. Di Gregorio made a crucial save to parry an Ait-Nouri shot from distance and just managed to tip an Omar Marmoush strike around the post.
Haaland entered the fray at halftime and nearly scored within a minute, narrowly missing a connection with a Savinho pass. However, he soon found the net, bundling a Matheus Nunes assist over the line despite a poor touch from close range, as Koopmeiners failed to track the run.
Kenan Yildiz, who came off the bench, nearly added to the score but shot just wide. Juventus faced further setbacks as Nicolò Savona suffered a sprained ankle, and Vlahovic missed a one-on-one chance against Ederson with a chipped effort.
Haaland's first touch from a long clearance by Ederson set up a lay-off intended for Phil Foden, which ultimately led to a tap-in assisted by Savinho. Di Gregorio made a remarkable save against Haaland, but the ball fell to Savinho, who unleashed a stunning shot off the underside of the bar with his weaker right foot.
Juventus managed to slightly reduce the deficit when Kenan Yildiz found Vlahovic with a clever through ball. Di Gregorio remained alert in stoppage time, denying Rayan Cherki in a one-on-one situation.
Goals:
- Doku 9' (M)
- Koopmeiners 11' (J)
- Kalulu (og) 26' (M)
- Haaland 52' (M)
- Foden 69' (M)
- Savinho 76' (M)
- Vlahovic 85' (J)
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