Manchester City will look to put their domestic struggles behind them when they face Japanese club Urawa Red Diamonds in the semifinals of the 2023 Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
City have won one of their last six league games, falling five points back in the Premier League title race to sit fourth, a point ahead of Tottenham. Now they have the chance to win continental silverware in the final edition of the Club World Cup in its current format.
Manager Pep Guardiola has been forced to make do without Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland through injury but it’s been defensive issues that have caused more damage, failing to keep a single clean sheet in any match since blanking BSC Young Boys in the Champions League group stage in early November.
Urawa Red Diamonds finished fourth in the last J1 League season, and have already been knocked out of the AFC Champions League as defending champions in the competition. They topped Club Leon 1-0 in the previous round to reach this stage, an impressive win over the North American continental champions.
USA: Click here to see the latest odds for Urawa Red Diamonds vs Man City and bet Club World Cup matches
Urawa Red Diamonds vs Man City prediction, odds
Moneyline lean: Man City (-550) Score prediction: Man City 2-0 Urawa Red Diamonds
Urawa Red Diamonds may be defending champions of the AFC Champions League, but they haven’t been able to effectively back it up this season. They finished fourth in the J-League, and were knocked out of the in-session ACL tournament before the knockout stage.
While Man City are struggling, and unlikely to play all their starters in this match, they should have no problem asserting their dominance and finding a way through for a goal or two.
Man City win
(90 mins) Draw Urawa win
(90 mins) Both teams
to score Y / N Over / Under
3.5 goals MCI
qualify URA
qualify BetMGM
(USA) -550 +650 +1400 +105 / -150 +105 / -145 -1600 +750
Urawa Red Diamonds vs Man City match facts
Date: Tuesday, December 19, 2023 Kickoff Time: 9 p.m. local (1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT) Location: King Abdullah Sport City Stadium (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) Official: TBD Last meeting: None (First meeting)
Urawa Red Diamonds vs Man City: best bet
Pick: Under 3.5 goals Odds: -145 (BetMGM)
Manchester City are in a rut, and are unlikely to play their full compliment of starters in this Club World Cup semifinal. If they reach the final, Pep Guardiola may risk more of his first-team players, but here, it’s hard to imagine him deploying the full XI.
Given how Urawa Red Diamonds looked in the last match against Club Leon, holding the Mexican side to just one shot on target, Man City might find it tough to break the Japanese side down, even if they get enough goals to advance.
Urawa Red Diamonds vs Man City prop bet Pick: Jack Grealish anytime goal scorer Odds: +180 (BetMGM)
OR
Pick: Oscar Bobb anytime goal scorer Odds: -115 (BetMGM)
The odds on Jack Grealish are too good not to mention for a player who’s starting to really cook, with three goals in his last three matches. Yet ultimately, it’s hard to imagine a player like Grealish who’s become important to the team’s league push being deployed in this match. If he’s starting, back Grealish, but otherwise, there are other options.
Instead, the more likely player to start is Oscar Bobb, who impressed with a goal against Red Star Belgrade midweek in the Champions League. With Erling Haaland struggling for fitness, Pep Guardiola won’t likely risk Julian Alvarez until the final, leaving Bobb to start up front. The 20-year-old academy product should get plenty of service and will find himself a likely scorer in this match.
Urawa Red Diamonds vs Man City live stream, TV channel
TV Channel: — Streaming: FIFA+
FIFA+ will provide live streaming of every game at the 2023 Club World Cup with access also available on FIFA’s YouTube channel across most of the world.