Liverpool, Man United stars respond to Reijnders’ ‘next stop’ Man City message
Tijjani Reijnders caught the attention of several Premier League stars as the midfielder helped Man City seal a place in the Club World Cup round of 16.
Pep Guardiola‘s side are the only team at the tournament to win all three of their opening matches, topping Group G with a sensational 5-2 win over Juventus on Thursday, 26 June.
Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Savinho were all on the scoresheet, with Pierre Kalulu scoring an own goal, and Teun Koopmeiners and Dusan Vlahovic grabbing two for the Serie A giants.
Ederson was seriously at fault for Juventus’ first goal at the Camping World Stadium, but thanks to his teammates, his howler in between the sticks was quickly forgotten about.
Reijnders had his best performance since joining the Citizens so far, with his latest social media update attracting clicks from stars back in England.
Tijjani Reijnders stars as Man City secure RO16 spot
Taking to Instagram (27 June), Reijnders wrote: “Job done in the group stage! Next stop, round of 16. Thanks Blues for the support in Orlando,” with a blue love heart.
Ruben Dias commented with a handshake emoji, with likes from teammates Haaland, Foden, and Doku, and Man United duo Joshua Zirkzee and Matthijs de Ligt and Liverpool‘s Jeremie Frimpong.
Pep Guardiola pushes forward at the Club World Cup
Football Insider verdict
Guardiola will be over the moon to see his squad gelling so quickly at the Club World Cup, but with two goals conceded against Juventus, there are still improvements to be made.
Reijnders and Rayan Cherki have both added new dimensions to the midfield, but it was Rayan Ait-Nouri who seriously impressed against the Serie A giants as he bagged his first assist for the club.
Both full-backs stepped up in the absence of Rico Lewis, who saw his red card appeal denied, even despite Keith Hackett suggesting that the referee only made the decision to avoid being sent home.
With the number of talented incomings, there will need to be multiple outgoings that follow Kevin De Bruyne‘s move to Napoli, which is exactly why Jack Grealish was left at home.
Mick Brown told Football Insider that Newcastle United are keeping an eye on Grealish this summer, with Mateo Kovacic, James McAtee, and even Foden being linked with moves away.
The Citizens will want to avoid yet another trophyless season, with the supporters left frustrated by the style of play and disappointing performances, but the squad certainly looks in good form right now.