Manchester City v Fluminense: Predictions, team news, stats & how to watch

Manchester City face South American champions Fluminense in the final of the Club World Cup at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah on Friday.

Fluminense advanced to the final with a 2-0 victory over Al Ahly and are striving to become the first South American winners since Corinthians defeated Chelsea 1-0 at the 2012 event.

City were comfortable 3-0 winners against Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday and are bidding to secure their fourth major trophy of the year.

Manchester City v Fluminense Odds

Manchester City - 1/3
Draw - 19/4
Fluminense - 7/1

Manchester City v Fluminense Information

• Where is Manchester City v Fluminense? King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah
• When is Manchester City v Fluminense? 18:00, Friday 22nd December
• Where can I watch Manchester City v Fluminense? TNT Sports 1

Manchester City v Fluminense Predictions

Manchester City win to nil - 11/10

 City are desperate to cap off a fantastic year by winning the Club World Cup and they should succeed with a fairly comfortable success over Fluminense at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.

Pep Guardiola’s side have dropped a lot of Premier League points in recent weeks, but the Club World Cup seems to have allowed them to refocus as they close in on claiming another major prize.

City were always likely to be too strong for Urawa Red Diamonds in Tuesday’s semi-final, but they showed a ruthless edge which has been missing from recent domestic performances.

The Citizens faced just two shots against the Japanese side and they will be looking to make life as tough as possible for Fluminense, who won the Copa Libertadores in November despite experiencing a fairly difficult season in the Brazilian top-flight.

Fluminense finished seventh in Brazilian Serie A, having lost 14 of their 38 matches.

They arrived at the Club World Cup having finished their domestic season with successive league defeats, but were able to respond with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Al Ahly.

However, the task of facing City is a massive step up in class and they are likely to fall short without getting on the scoresheet.

Jack Grealish to score anytime - 9/4

Erling Haaland’s absence has increased the responsibility on other City players to score the goals and the challenge has been readily accepted by Jack Grealish, who has netted in three of his last five appearances.

Grealish is a hugely talented player, but has often done his best work outside of the box and has never been a prolific goalscorer.

However, there have been recent signs of a greater willingness to get into the danger area and it seems to be bearing fruit.

The 28-year-old approaches the final full of belief and it could be his moment to play a starring role.

Felipe Melo to be booked - 13/10

Fluminense’s defence is expected to feature 40-year-old veteran Felipe Melo, who won the last of his 22 caps for Brazil back in 2010.

Melo provides leadership and plenty of ability in possession, but his lack of pace can leave him exposed.

The former Juventus and Inter Milan player has been carded ten times in just 19 Brazilian top-flight appearances this season and he looks a solid wager to be cautioned in Jeddah.

Manchester City Team News

Kevin De Bruyne (hamstring), Jeremy Doku (hamstring) and Erling Haaland (foot) were left out of the semi-final squad and are now ineligible to play a part in the final.

Pep Guardiola may be reluctant to make too many changes to a winning team, but Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Rico Lewis and Julian Alvarez are excellent options should he wish to freshen things up.

Fluminense Team News

No fresh injuries have been reported for Fluminense, who are expected to select 43-year-old goalkeeper Fabio and 40-year-old defender Felipe Melo.

Fabio is poised to become the oldest player to feature in a Club World Cup final.

Manchester City v Fluminense Stats

Three of Fluminense’s last five defeats have been by a 1-0 scoreline.

Manchester City went eight matches without keeping a clean sheet until their 3-0 success over Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday.

Ten of Fluminense’s last 11 fixtures have featured less than four goals.

Head-to-Head

Manchester City wins	0
Draws	0
Fluminense wins	0

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.