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Ilkay Gündoğan

Gundogan brace powers Man City to 6-0 rout of Al Ain, seals Club World Cup last-16 spot

Ilkay Gündoğan (Credits - X)

Ilkay Gundogan struck twice as Manchester City cruised to a dominant 6-0 victory over Al Ain, booking their place in the last 16 of the Club World Cup, as per Sky Sports. Under the closed roof of the striking Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the Premier League champions proved far too strong for their Abu Dhabi-based opponents.

The tone was set early when Gundogan, amid rumours of a potential move to Galatasaray, opened the scoring in the 8th minute with a lofted finish over the goalkeeper, albeit with a touch of fortune. Teen sensation Claudio Echeverri, making his first start for City, doubled the lead with a clever free-kick, after that Erling Haaland calmly converted a penalty to make it 3-0 at the break.

City continued their dominance in the second half, with Gundogan scoring his second in the 73rd minute. Late goals from substitutes Oscar Bobb and Rayan Cherki rounded off the emphatic win. The victory ensured that both City and Juventus advanced from Group G. The two sides will clash in Orlando on Thursday to determine who finishes top, with a potential showdown against Real Madrid awaiting in the first knockout round.

Ten-man Real Madrid overcame an early setback to secure a 3-1 win over Mexico's Pachuca, with Jude Bellingham opening the scoring in a commanding performance despite being a player down, as per Sky Sports. Xabi Alonso's men were dealt a major blow just seven minutes into the match when Raul Asencio was sent off for a challenge on Salomon Rondon, the former Premier League forward known for his stints at West Brom, Newcastle, and Everton.

Despite being reduced to 10, Madrid remained disciplined and struck clinically on the counter. Bellingham broke the deadlock with a composed finish, setting the tone for the rest of the match. Trent Alexander-Arnold, in only his second appearance for the Spanish club, was instrumental in the build-up to the second goal. The Englishman played a smart pass to Gonzalo Garcia, who laid it off for Arda Guler to double Madrid's advantage.

Federico Valverde added a third, putting the result beyond doubt. Pachuca's Elias Montiel managed a consolation goal late on via a deflected strike, but it wasn't enough to keep their tournament hopes alive. In Group G, Juventus continued their dominant run with a 4-1 win over Wydad Casablanca. Rising star Kenan Yildiz was the standout performer, netting twice.

Yildiz's sixth-minute effort took a deflection off Wydad defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil to give the Italians an early lead. The 19-year-old then fired a stunning strike into the top corner to make it 2-0 after just 16 minutes. Wydad pulled one back through Thembinkosi Lorch, whose delightful chip briefly raised hopes for a comeback. The Moroccan side pressed for an equaliser but couldn't break through a resilient Juventus defence.

Yildiz struck again with 20 minutes to go, and Dusan Vlahovic added a late penalty to seal Juve's second straight convincing win after their 5-0 thrashing of Al Ain in the opening game. Elsewhere, River Plate and Monterrey played out a goalless stalemate in Group E. 

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