Echeverri, Cherki score 1st City goals in CWC romp

Ilkay Gündogan scored twice, Erling Haaland added his archetypal extremity of the tourney connected a punishment footwear and Manchester City trounced Al Ain 6-0 successful Club World Cup Group G play connected Sunday nighttime successful Atlanta.

The 19-year-old Claudio Echeverri scored his archetypal extremity successful a Manchester City garment connected a sublime escaped kick, and Oscar Bobb and Rayan Cherki piled connected precocious successful the match. Stefan Ortega needed to marque conscionable 1 prevention for Manchester City (2-0-0, 6 points).

Group G volition beryllium decided by Thursday's showdown betwixt Man City and Juventus successful Orlando, Florida. They've some secured spots successful the knockouts aft beating Al Ain (0-2-0, 0 points) from Abu Dhabi and Wydad AC from Morocco.

"A truly bully performance," said Gundogan. "I deliberation we had our moments successful the archetypal half, and past besides the 2nd portion of the 2nd half.

"I deliberation the effect speaks for itself, and successful the end, afloat deserved."

Khalid Eisa made 5 saves but could not support up with Al Ain's Premier League opponent, which ended the nighttime with a 21-5 vantage successful full shots.

Man City showed implicit power aboriginal connected and were rewarded with a 3-0 halftime lead.

They earned the archetypal of their 9 country kicks successful the eighth minute, and Bernardo Silva's offering recovered its mode to Gundogan connected the acold broadside of the box. He chipped a lob changeable that Eisa had nary supplication of defending and the shot tucked into the country of the net.

Echeverri's escaped footwear successful the 27th was the effect of a foul that earned Al Ain's Facundo Zabala a yellowish card. He placed the changeable successful the apical country of the nett supra Eisa's head.

Haaland had a likewise casual clip erstwhile helium stepped to the spot 5 minutes into first-half stoppage. He changeable to his close arsenic Eisa dove the incorrect way.

The adjacent flurry of goals began successful the 73rd infinitesimal erstwhile Gundogan took a walk from Silva, divided aggregate defenders successful the box, turned toward the nett and deposited the shot down Eisa.

Bobb struck successful the 84th infinitesimal and Cherki, who subbed connected for Silva to marque his Man City debut, scored successful the 89th infinitesimal connected a one-timer disconnected a provender from Haaland.

Manchester City is the reigning nine champion, winning the rubric successful 2023 under the erstwhile seven-team format.