Manchester City vs Wydad AC LIVE: Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku put City in full control in Club World Cup | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola welcomes former Liverpool backroom staff to the coaching team

Manchester City kicked off their Club World Cup campaign with a simple and controlled 2-0 victory over Moroccan side Wydad AC.

Phil Foden made history by scoring the earliest goal in the Club World Cup when he arrived at the right time to poke home City’s opener inside two minutes in Philadelphia.

From there Pep Guardiola’s men had control of the match and maintained possession allowing new midfielder Tijjani Reijnders to shine. He slipped passes in behind the defence, looked to dictate play and linked the forward line together to show he is an able replacement for Kevin De Bruyne.

Jeremy Doku added the second goal on the stroke of half-time by stretching onto a Foden corner and nudging the ball home at the back post.

With two goals to the good, City eased off in the second half but Rico Lewis was controversially sent off late in the game for a sliding tackle on Samuel Obeng which may have consequences for City going forward.

Manchester City start Club World Cup campaign with comfortable win over Wydad AC

The late sending off of Rico Lewis marred a comfortable victory for Manchester City in their Club World Cup opener on Wednesday.

Goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku at each end of the first half proved enough as City saw off Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca 2-0 in Philadelphia.

But the Group G encounter ended on a sour note for the Premier League outfit as Lewis was shown a straight red card for catching an opponent in the face in a challenge two minutes from time.

Manchester City start Club World Cup campaign with comfortable win over Wydad AC

A crowd of 37,446 in the 67,594-capacity Lincoln Financial Field watched City stroll to victory over Wydad Casablanca

Mike Jones18 June 2025 19:35

Rico Lewis challenge a ‘definite red card’ claims John Obi Mikel

John Obi Mikel claims Rico Lewis’s dismissal against Wydad AC in Manchester City’s Club World Cup opener was a ‘definite red card’ despite the dubious nature of the challenge.

Lewis was sent off in the 88th minute after a sliding tackle on Samuel Obeng.

The rather bizarre occurance saw the Man City defender and Wydad forward both slide in to challenge for a loose ball with Lewis winning the race and clearing the danger.

Rico Lewis challenge a ‘definite red card’ claims John Obi Mikel

Lewis was dismissed in the 88th minute of Man City’s opening match against Wydad AC

Mike Jones18 June 2025 19:28

Next up for City

Manchester City face Al Ain of the UAE on Monday at 2am BST and Juventus on Thursday at 8pm.

Two wins from those games and City will cruise out of Group G.

Mike Jones18 June 2025 19:06

Full-time! Man City 2-0 Wydad AC

The whistle goes to end this match.

Goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku give Manchester City a deserved three points and there was plenty of time on the pitch for new signing Tijjani Reijnders.

The main talking point will be the late red card for Rico Lewis.

Mike Jones18 June 2025 19:00

Man City 2-0 Wydad AC

90+3 mins: There’s going to be six minutes of added time to play in Philadelphia.

Half of that has gone already. The major talking point will be Lewis’s red card.

Callum Wilson doesn’t think that tackle should have result in a dismissal.

Mike Jones18 June 2025 18:56

Man City 2-0 Wydad AC

90 mins: Rico Lewis will now be suspended for City’s next games. Pep Guardiola isn’t pleased on the sidelines at all.

Matheus Nunes is brought on to replace Savinho as Wydad win a free kick.

Mike Jones18 June 2025 18:54

RED CARD! Man City 2-0 Wydad AC

88 mins: Rico Lewis is sent off!

He slides into a tackle and wins the ball.

As he clears it Obeng slides into the challenge too and Lewis’s legs rise off the ground as the Wydad man slips under him.

Lewis’s right boot clatters into Obeng’s chin but the referee thinks that is dangerous.

The Man City man has to depart the pitch.

Mike Jones18 June 2025 18:53

Man City 2-0 Wydad AC

85 mins: Manchester City will move to the top of their group after this win.

A small consolation for Wydad is that City haven’t scored in the second half.

They’ve become more secure and Wydad haven’t had any counter attacking opportunities either.

Guardiola is managing the fitness of his players and doesn’t want to make this match too tasking for them.

Mike Jones18 June 2025 18:49

Man City 2-0 Wydad AC

82 mins: Wydad are trying to press and win back the ball but Man City are toying with them.

It’s so easy for Pep Guardiola’s men to control possession.

This is a major issue with the Club World Cup. The different leagues around the world aren’t up to the same level.

Europe and South American teams will dominate this tournament which makes it a bloated mess.

Mike Jones18 June 2025 18:47

Man City 2-0 Wydad AC

76 mins: Rodri attempts to play Oscar Bobb into the right side of the penalty area.

He flicks forward the pass but gets the weight of it wrong and the ball rolls out of play for a goal kick.

Mike Jones18 June 2025 18:40