Rodri Returns, Manchester City Dominates Again

ORLANDO, THURSDAY — Manchester City midfielder, Rodri, has finally been trusted as a starting player after a long injury layoff. The return of the Ballon d'Or winner was marked by a significant victory for City over Juventus. Rodri did not contribute much, but he made the City squad more confident.

City advanced to the round of 16 as the top of Group G in the 2025 Club World Cup after defeating Juventus 5-2 at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, United States, on Friday (27/6/2025) WIB. The team, managed by Josep "Pep" Guardiola, swept all group matches without significant difficulties.

"The first target is to advance from the group and how we play to win. Today, we achieved that. I am satisfied. Our performance was truly good. I am pleased because the players have realized they need to play like they did in the last decade," said Guardiola.

There was some concern regarding City before the match. Juventus is the largest team they will face at the beginning of the tournament. Previously, they won against clubs from outside Europe, namely Al-Ain (United Arab Emirates) and Wydad AC (Morocco), whose squad quality is significantly lower.

Guardiola made the right decision. After only being a cameo from the bench in the first two matches, Rodri was deployed from the first minute against Juventus. The last time the Spanish national team player played as a starter was in September 2024, prior to his knee injury.

Rodri has not yet returned to his best form. He is still adapting to the rhythm of the game. Nevertheless, the presence of the anchoring midfielder has already made City play more calmly and confidently. This was evident as City took the lead through winger Jeremy Doku in just nine minutes.

A minute later, City goalkeeper Ederson made a misplaced pass that resulted in a goal by Juve midfielder Teun Koomeiners. Typically, when Rodri was absent last season, City would collapse after conceding. However, this time it did not happen. They immediately initiated an attacking move. This aggressiveness paid off with an own goal from Juve defender Pierre Kalulu in the middle of the half.

This is our chance to make up for last season which was not so good. - Rodri -

Rodri played for 66 minutes before being substituted by veteran midfielder Ilkay Guendogan. City was already leading 3-1 at the time of the substitution. Forward Erling Haaland extended the lead after being brought on from the bench at the beginning of the second half. It is not a coincidence that Rodri returned, and City performed dominantly.

Guardiola stated that the injury crisis was the reason for their failure last season. City ended the season without a major trophy after last winning one in 2017. Rodri was the biggest loss as he was absent for almost the entire season. "We couldn't do much because there were no players," he said.

Unlike in the previous match, City was very complete. In addition to Rodri, they showcased the luxury of their squad after significant spending in the last two transfer windows. City was even able to secure a large victory despite Haaland and Phil Foden starting the match from the bench. The forward acquired in January, Omar Marmoush, became the starting player.

Guardiola also fielded two new players from the start, namely midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri. They performed impressively. Ait-Nouri provided the assist for Doku's opening goal, while Reijnders was involved in the build-up to City's fourth goal scored by Foden.

Juventus, which played more defensively with a 3-4-2-1 formation, could not develop. They recorded only 23.7 percent possession and made just five shots. "City has better players than us. That is a reality that must be acknowledged," said Juventus Coach Igor Tudor.

Although Juve changed their formation to five defenders in a line while defending, City was still able to create many opportunities on the flanks. This was all thanks to the impressive performances of Doku on the left and Savinho on the right. Savinho concluded the match with a contribution of one goal and one assist.

According to Rodri, the match was a good start. However, they are still far from their best. "We are developing. The new players are still adapting. Now, we want to focus on this tournament. This is our opportunity to redeem last season, which was not so good," he stated. (AP/REUTERS)