Pep Guardiola’s side got off to a winning start against Wydad AC, cruising to a comfortable 2-0 result as Rico Lewis was shown a late red card.
After a forgettable Premier League campaign, Phil Foden was back amongst the goals, breaking the deadlock with less than two minutes played as he slotted home from close range.
Jeremy Doku completed the scoresheet, while Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki both made their debuts. A win over Al Ain would all but confirm City’s progression to the knockout stages of the competition.
Al Ain, who currently sit fifth in the UAE Pro League, had worse fortunes in their opener, shipping five to Juventus as Randal Kolo Muani and Francisco Conceicao both hit braces and Kenan Yildiz made up the numbers. They will hope to get their campaign back on track on Monday.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Man City vs Al Ain is scheduled for a 2am BST kick-off on Monday, June 23, 2025.
The match will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Where to watch Man City vs Al Ain
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Channel 5, with coverage starting at 1:15am BST ahead of a 2am kick-off.
Live stream: Viewers can watch the action live online via the DAZN website. Kick-off is at 5pm this evening.
DAZN is the global broadcaster of the new-look Club World Cup. No subscription is required to watch the game, with the entire tournament available to their ‘Freemium’ members, which means you only need to sign up for a free DAZN account.
Free highlights: The Manchester City website and YouTube channel will show highlights from full time.
Man City vs Al Ain team news
Man City suffered no injuries in their opening Club World Cup tie, meaning the only player unavailable for Guardiola is the suspended Rico Lewis, who will miss the remainder of the tournament.
Rayan Ait-Nouri could make his full debut after being left on the bench last time out, with Reijnders and Cherki also expected to be handed another audition with the squad.
After being benched in favour of Omar Marmoush last time out, Erling Haaland could also return to the side.
Man City vs Al Ain prediction
This match should be a routine one for Man City. If their Club World Cup opener is anything to go by, a routine win over subpar opposition played at half pace due to jetlag and a season’s worth of fatigue, today can only go one way.
This City side is a well-oiled machine, as all Premier League fans will well know. Even playing in unfamiliar surroundings under oprressive weather, they should have no issue.
Having seen the way Al Ain rolled over for Juve, City will be all the more confident.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
This will be just the second meeting between these two sides, the previous being a friendly played in 2014 which City won 3-0.
Man City vs Al Ain match odds
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
