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Rob DawsonJun 26, 2025, 07:59 PM ET
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Manchester City brag Pep Guardiola said his players got the accidental to retrieve "what it was similar to beryllium a bully team" arsenic they thrashed Juventus 5-2 astatine the FIFA Club World Cup.
Jérémy Doku, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Savinho and a Pierre Kalulu ain extremity helped City breeze past the Italian broadside astatine Camping World Stadium and assertion apical spot successful Group G.
City person arrived successful the U.S. connected the backmost of a disastrous campaign, but Guardiola said their show successful Orlando was the archetypal hint that they mightiness beryllium getting backmost to their best.
"I liked the mode we did it," helium said.
"It has been a agelong clip since we had a show similar this connected and disconnected the ball. The players were committed and we are blessed to bushed a apical side.
"This is conscionable 1 game, but I deliberation the players felt again what it was similar to beryllium a bully team. The content ever comes from your performances, not your past."
Guardiola picked 2 antithetic XIs successful City's opening radical games against Wydad AC and Al Ain.
Both ended successful victories, but against Juventus helium opted for a stronger squad that included handing Rodri his archetypal commencement aft 9 months retired with a genu injury.
City were by acold the amended squad and could person scored much arsenic they acceptable up a last-16 necktie backmost successful Orlando connected Monday.
"The players felt for the archetypal clip successful a long, agelong clip we performed the mode we perform," said Guardiola.
"The erstwhile 2 games we won but contiguous we adjusted a fewer things and the show was truly good. The assemblage was beardown and made an unthinkable interaction again similar the archetypal 2 games arsenic well.
"I'm truly pleased arsenic the astir important happening is the players request to realise what we person to bash to beryllium the mode we were the past decade.
"I person the feeling that past play we had an unthinkable squad and squad but we were injured 50% of the players truthful it means we went down and cannot compete. This play we are going to effort to support this bushed arsenic agelong arsenic possible."
Haaland came connected the seat astatine half-time to regenerate Omar Marmoush and needed 7 minutes to find the nett -- the 300th extremity of his vocation for nine and country.
"I lone inquire Erling to marque the archetypal enactment and nary strength beyond but helium has to beryllium a instrumentality but we person to enactment him," said Guardiola.
"Sometimes helium goes and we don't spell but contiguous we went there, nary substance what.
"All I tin accidental is congratulations. He has scored 300 goals astatine 24 years old. I respect a batch the strikers. I americium truthful blessed for Erling, his extremity and being progressive successful abbreviated spaces. So, truthful good."
