{"id":133302,"date":"2023-12-20T12:56:27","date_gmt":"2023-12-20T12:56:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/12\/20\/peps-men-reach-club-world-cup-final\/"},"modified":"2023-12-20T12:56:27","modified_gmt":"2023-12-20T12:56:27","slug":"peps-men-reach-club-world-cup-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/12\/20\/peps-men-reach-club-world-cup-final\/","title":{"rendered":"Pep\u2019s men reach Club World Cup final \u2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Manchester City eased into the final of the Club World Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Without Erling Haaland, the Champions League winners needed an own goal to launch their campaign in Saudi Arabia but second-half strikes from Mateo Kovavic and Bernardo Silva saw them stroll to victory.<\/p>\n

Having already added the European Super Cup to last season\u2019s Treble, City will now have the chance to claim a fifth trophy of the calendar year when they face Brazil\u2019s Fluminense in Friday\u2019s final in Jeddah.<\/p>\n

With Urawa showing limited ambition against City\u2019s formidable line-up, the only surprise was the game remained goalless until first-half stoppage time.<\/p>\n

City may have been without a recognised centre forward in Haaland\u2019s continued absence due to a foot injury, but the Reds defence was given little respite and goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa had a busy night.<\/p>\n

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Rodri had City\u2019s first attempt on goal when he fired wide after eight minutes and he had another effort deflected past the post after Silva shot over.<\/p>\n

Nishikawa did well to turn over from Matheus Nunes on the half-hour and he denied both the Portugal international again and Phil Foden from distance.<\/p>\n

City finally claimed the breakthrough their play deserved just before the interval, although they did benefit from a stroke of luck.<\/p>\n

Nunes broke down the right and exchanged passes with Silva before driving the ball low towards goal, where it was turned into his own net by Norwegian defender Marius Hoibraten.<\/p>\n

With their lead established, City tightened their grip after the break.<\/p>\n

Kyle Walker played Kovacic into space for the Croatia midfielder to lift the ball over Nishikawa for the second after 52 minutes.<\/p>\n

Nunes should have added another moments later but headed wide from a Jack Grealish cross.<\/p>\n

The third came just before the hour after Nishikawa pushed away another Nunes effort and Silva drove in the rebound with the aid of a deflection.<\/p>\n

Guardiola began to make changes in the latter stages as he looked ahead to the final.<\/p>\n

One of the substitutes, Julian Alvarez, was denied by Nishikawa at point-blank range and Grealish squandered another chance by delaying his shot.<\/p>\n

Urawa had a couple of late chances as City eased up but John Stones cleared after Bryan Linssen seized on a poor backpass and Ederson denied Shoya Nakajima with his feet.<\/p>\n

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