CITY LOOK TO LIFT THEIR FOURTH TROPHY OF THE CALENDAR YEAR – Manchester City face Fluminense in the Club World Cup Final
Treble winners Manchester City will seek to lift their fourth trophy of the calendar year when they take on Copa Liber-ta-dores champions Flumin-ense in the Club World Cup.
Head coach Pep Guardiola, a two-time winner of the competition with Barcelona, warned, however, that, despite being overwhelming favourites, City will have their work cut out against their Brazilian opponents.
Reminiscing about his first Club World Cup title in 2009, Guardiola recalled how his all-time great Barcelona side which featured the likes of Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Xavi Hernandez required a late equaliser to force extra-time before eventually prevailing against the Argentine outfit, Estu-dian-tes de la Plata.
Guardiola, who lost to Brazilian opposition in the form of Sao Paulo as a player at the Club World Cup’s predecessor, the Intercontinental Cup, in 1992 before also tasting defeat at the hands of International in his first appearance as a head coach in the competition in 2006, warned that, although European teams have won the last 10 straight editions of the tournament, South Americans clubs can never be written off.
City made a winning start to the competition being held in Saudi Arabia when they defeated Asian Champions League winners Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0 on Tuesday, while Fernando Diniz’s Flumin-ense prevailed 2-0 over African champions Al-Ahly the day prior.