Man City predicted XI vs Juventus- Rodri starts, Bernardo Silva ditched
Pep Guardiola could be set to make several changes to his Man City lineup for Thursday’s Club World Cup clash with Juventus.
The North West giants have already navigated their way through to the knockout stages with back-to-back wins over Wydad Casablanca and Al Ain.
Guardiola’s men were impressive against UAE outfit Al Ain on Monday, 23 June, as they raced to a 6-0 win, with Ilkay Gundogan bagging a brace.
The fact that Man City have already reached the last 16 means the Etihad Stadium club have plenty of scope for rotation, but they must also be wary that Juventus are one of the best opponents they will face in the tournament.
Man City predicted lineup v Juventus
Juventus have shown their goal-scoring threat this tournament by beating Al Ain 5-0 and Wydad Casablanca 4-1.
Therefore, Guardiola should put Ederson back in goal in favour of Stefan Ortega, who kept a clean sheet against Al Ain.
Meanwhile, Man City could also rotate their defence once more by dropping Abdukodir Khusanov, allowing Matheus Nunes to revert to right-back instead of the midfield role he enjoyed last time out.
Thursday’s clash against a dangerous Juventus side gives Rodri the perfect opportunity to show his defensive awareness in what could be his first start since the ACL injury he suffered last September.
Meanwhile, even though Gundogan scored a brace against Al Ain, Man City’s other midfield options could see him dropped to the bench alongside Bernardo Silva.
Guardiola’s attacking midfield options have been dictated by Claudio Echeverri’s injury, which is set to see him absent for two or three weeks.
Guardiola will be eager to avoid Real Madrid clash
Man City currently sit second in Group G, behind Juventus, thanks to the fact that the Italian giants have scored one more goal than the Premier League side.
| Opponent | Result |
| Wydad Casablanca | 2-0 W |
| Al Ain | 6-0 W |
The clash between Guardiola’s men and Igor Tudor’s side is set to decide who tops the group and subsequently faces Group H’s second-place team in the last 16.
Real Madrid should be set to win Group H if they can defeat Salzburg on Thursday, 26 June, following their win over Mexican side Pachuca last time out.
But the Club World Cup has been full of surprises so far, as Madrid were held to a shock 1-1 draw with Saudi Pro League outfit Al Hilal on 18 June.
If Man City win their group and Madrid finish second in theirs, Guardiola’s men would also come up against the Spanish capital giants in the last 16.
Even though Los Blancos are yet to establish their rhythm, the North West outfit will want to avoid facing the star-studded 15-time Champions League winners in the next round.