Manchester City vs Wydad AC Tips, Predictions and Bet Builder

Manchester City are the defending Club World Cup champions, having taken the title in 2023 with a 4-0 win over Fluminense in the final, and they will be fully motivated to defend their crown.

It will be tougher to do so with the tournament having been extended to 32 teams and injected with more quality, but it is important that they try to rescue what has been a disappointing season.

City failed to win a single piece of silverware but, their FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace in the middle of May aside, the signs are that they are finally getting their act together. 

The Citizens closed out the Premier League season on a high, going 10 games unbeaten and winning seven of those matches to finish third and guarantee themselves UEFA Champions League football next season.

The early summer signings of Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri show intent from manager Pep Guardiola and it should be routine work in their opening Group G assignment against Wydad AC.

The Moroccan side are one of four African teams in the Club World Cup and qualified thanks to being crowned CAF Champions League winners in 2022.

They have been champions in the north African country on 22 occasions, the most recent of which was in 2022, but this is a steep learning curve for them and the gulf in class is likely to be evident.

Manchester City vs Wydad AC Tips Summary

Market	Tip	Odds
Match Result	Manchester City	1/22
Best Bet	Manchester City to win & under 3.5 goals	6/5
Bet Builder	'No' in both teams to score, Omar Marmoush anytime goalscorer, over nine Manchester City corners	11/2

Key Match Stats

• Manchester City won six of their last seven Premier League matches

• Manchester City beat Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0 and Fluminense 4-0 at the 2023 Club World Cup

• Wydad have lost only one of their last 22 league matches

• Manchester City kept six clean sheets in their final nine Premier League games

• Wydad have lost three of their last four matches to nil

Manchester City vs Wydad AC Tips Prediction

Best Bet: Manchester City to win & under 3.5 goals @ 6/5

Manchester City are 1/22 to start their Club World Cup campaign with a victory over Wydad AC and that highlights just how big the gap could be between these two teams.

The Citizens won six of their final seven Premier League matches to suggest that they were finally starting to gel and having midfield maestro Rodri and star striker Erling Haaland back to full fitness is a huge lift.

Omar Marmoush has oozed quality since arriving from Eintracht Frankfurt in January and the recent signing of Cherki from Lyon provides even greater firepower for the Citizens.

However, for all their attacking class, City rarely run riot and they have scored more than three goals in only one of their last 18 matches in all competitions.

That suggests that it could be a more disciplined display than a dazzling one, especially with Guardiola likely to take care of his most important players.

City are expected to dominate possession but teams sitting deep can often frustrate them for large periods and backing them to win in a contest featuring three or fewer goals appeals.

Seven of City’s last nine wins have gone under 3.5 goals and this could repeat the feat, especially if Wydad’s recent 1-0 friendly defeats to Sevilla and Porto are anything to go by.

Aaron Ashley explains:

City are not the sort of team that always let the shackles off, with Guardiola preferring to see a polished performance than a gung-ho game where they are required to outscore their opposition.

Manchester City vs Wydad AC Bet Builder Tip

• Both teams to score - no

• Omar Marmoush anytime goalscorer

• Over nine Manchester City corners

Pays 11/2

City kept six clean sheets in their final nine Premier League games and they should be able to keep Wydad AC at bay, especially as the Moroccan side failed to score in three of their final four Club World Cup preparation matches.

Marmoush has grabbed eight goals in just 22 appearances for Manchester City since joining from Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt and the midfield maverick can make his presence felt.

Finally, City are likely to spend a lot of time in Wydad's defensive third and their liking to get in wide areas could ensure that they rack up the corner count.

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Aaron Ashley adds:

Marmoush has settled in seamlessly at the Etihad and the attack-minded Egyptian international could continue where he left off at the Club World Cup. A big-game player, with an eye for goal, the 26-year-old can cause plenty of problems for the Moroccan minnows.

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Tactics, Form and Team News

All four of City's recent arrivals - Reijnders, Cherki, Ait-Nouri and backup goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli - are in the squad and will be hoping to make their debuts.

Injury-ravaged John Stones also travelled but he may be a while away from a start, while Jack Grealish looks set for a move away and Mateo Kovacic is sidelined.

Rodri is back in full-time training and, while he may not be ready to go from the off, he is expected to be involved.

Expected Manchester City line-up (4-3-3): Ederson; Lewis, Khusanov, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri; Reijnders, Gonzalez; Cherki, Marmoush, Doku; Haaland.

Former Watford and Hull midfielder Nordin Amrabat could be involved after signing for the club and manager Amine Benhachem has a fully fit squad to choose from.

Expected Wydad AC line-up (4-2-3-1): El Motie; Moufi, Meijers, Harkass, Boucheta; Malsa, Moubarik; Amrabat, Arthur, Rayhi; Obeng.

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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.