Five things to look out for – Manchester City vs Al-Hilal

Manchester Metropolis face Saudi Professional League aspect Al-Hilal within the final 16 of the FIFA Membership World Cup.

Pep Guardiola’s aspect are recent off the again of being the one aspect to win all three of their group stage matches, scoring 13 objectives within the course of and impressing with their entertaining soccer.

Al-Hilal, in the meantime, brought on one thing of a shock by qualifying from their group unbeaten, together with attracts in opposition to Actual Madrid and RB Salzburg.

The winner of this sport will face both Inter or Fluminese within the quarter remaining, with the sport kicking off at 8pm this night.

Listed here are 5 issues to look out for as Metropolis tackle the 19 time Saudi League Champions:

CANCELO vs texture

Actually essentially the most fascinating one vs one duel on the pitch will probably be to see how former Metropolis participant Joao Cancelo copes with the in kind Jeremy Doku.

Cancelo, 31, was on Metropolis’s books between 2019-2024, and for 2 and a half years was among the best full backs within the league and contributed massively to the title wins in 2020/21 and 2021/22.

However after the 2022 World Cup, he was dropped for a teenage Rico Lewis, and ended up leaving the membership for 18 months on mortgage at Bayern Munich then Barcelona earlier than becoming a member of Al-Hilal completely.

Cancelo at all times impressed going forwards (basically being an additional attacking midfielder) however was weak defensively.

Doku has proven all through his Metropolis profession that he’s a superb one vs one dribbler, and he’s had a powerful Membership World Cup to this point with two objectives in two video games.

He’s lastly beginning to present some constant finish product, and with that comes elevated output.

Cancelo, nonetheless, had a superb sport in opposition to Actual Madrid and Vinicius Junior so it’ll be an intriguing battle that would resolve the end result of the sport.

Rodri beginning on the bench

Sure, he began and accomplished 65 minutes in opposition to Juventus fully incident free, however that doesn’t imply Rodri is now fully again within the body.

Restoration from a long run knee harm requires particular safety from niggles or extra severe accidents, and with the brief flip round of video games developing, I believe Rodri will probably be largely rested from this sport.

I count on him to play some half – most likely no less than 20 minutes from the bench, relying on the scoreline. However with a doable quarter remaining and semi remaining developing inside the subsequent week, this looks like the perfect alternative to not begin the present Ballon D’or holder.

Nico Gonzalez hasn’t performed a lot at this event to this point, however I count on him to begin in opposition to the Saudi champions to supply the physicality in midfield with Rodri lacking.

Foden, Haaland and Gardiol coming again in

Of Metropolis’s first three video games, Erling Haaland, Josko Gvardiol and Phil Foden have solely began one match every.

Gvardiol and Haaland had been Metropolis’s two most vital gamers final season, while Foden had a poor yr scuffling with kind and health however seems to be a lot happier and sharper with two objectives already this event.

I count on all three of them to begin in opposition to Simone Inzaghi’s aspect, as they’re three of essentially the most influential gamers on the crew and to allow them to construct up their health forward of a possible quarter remaining and semi remaining.

Al-Hilal’s risk on the break

Metropolis’s opponents, nonetheless, are a lot better than Wydad and Al Ain.

Cancelo, Ruben Neves, Sergei Milinkovic-Savic, Bono and Kalidou Koulibaly are skilled, established gamers to construct round because the core of their crew, they usually’ve brought on issues for RB Salzburg and most notably European giants Actual Madrid.

Aleksandar Mitrovic’s harm means Al-Hilal are taking part in a extra fluid assault with out him, making them lethal on the counter.

Metropolis have nonetheless struggled on this division (conceding two very mushy objectives in opposition to Juventus final outing) so there’s very a lot an opportunity the Saudi Professional League aspect below new administration might trigger them some severe issues.

One other win for an enhancing Metropolis crew

It’s the knockout levels, and something can occur on this degree of soccer, however Metropolis are absolutely clear favourites to progress.

Al-Hilal did nicely to trigger Actual Madrid issues, however Metropolis dismantled a greater aspect in Juventus.

Not simply are Metropolis taking part in profitable soccer once more, however we’ve seen indicators of extra entertaining soccer too, with excessive tempo passing and objectives galore.

The brand new gamers, returning gamers and the teaching workers revamp means the Blues are on their manner again to the highest once more, and also you’d count on them to comply with that up by beating Simone Inzaghi’s aspect.