Man City 2–0 Wydad: Player Ratings As Reigning Holders Start With a Victory

Manchester City defeated Wydad AC in their first Club World Cup game as the reigning champions began as they mean to go on.

Phil Foden opened the scoring inside two minutes thanks to Savinho's work in the box. Wydad's goalkeeper parried a shot into a dangerous area which Foden latched onto. City had much of the ball for the first 45, but couldn't double their lead. On the other side, Wydad stuck to a plan and were putting considerable pressure on City. Just on the verge of halftime, Jérémy Doku doubled the Cityzens' lead from a corner as Foden added an assist.

Erling Haaland and Rodri entered in the second half as Man City remained the methodical side they are. Dominating possession though did not lead to another goal, but they'll take the three points all the same with a headline showdown against Juventus awaiting them in the group.

They did have to navigate a late sending off for Rico Lewis who received a red card in the 88th minute for a challenge on Samuel Obeng. Players protested the decision, but VAR did not overturn the sliding challenge in which Lewis's foot came up and caught Obeng in the face.

Player ratings from the game below.