In the quest to capture its first Club World Cup title, Manchester City has been studying footage of Brazilian opponent Fluminense as it is unfamiliar with its style of play, manager Pep Guardiola said.
Adding to the stiff challenge, City will be without Premier League-leading striker Erling Haaland, who travelled to Saudi Arabia despite having missed City’s past four games with a nagging foot injury.
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Haaland was sidelined for City’s 3-0 semi-final win over Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday, and his absence means he is ineligible to play in the rest of the competition even if he was fit to play.
“We try in the hours after (our last) game to see Fluminense as much as possible, looking at the quality they have,” Guardiola told reporters on Thursday in Jeddah.
“They have five, six or seven players more than 30-years-old so that means they can control their emotions perfectly.”
“They play a typical Brazilian style from the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s. Lots of short passes, combining really good, but also physically demanding. We have to be aware how much they run behind the ball, and be resilient in (handling) that.”
“The way they play demands a lot of effort (from us). The way they play we have never faced before. They move a lot from side to side, so we have to impose our own rhythm and possession game as much as possible.”
City has struggled lately, winning only one of its last six Premier League games to drop to fourth in the table, yet is considered the favourite to hoist what would be their its trophy over the past year on Friday.
Guardiola said a key to victory will be keeping a tight rein on the emotions.
“How do you play a Club World Cup final without emotion?” Guardiola said. “Emotion is there, it’s how you handle it. It’s there. It’s how long it stays in your mind. That’s the big target in finals.”
Guardiola has impressed on the players that winning the Cup is a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.
“The players are ready and know how important it is. As I have said before, what a pleasure it is to be here,” said the Spaniard, adding the team enjoyed a rare dinner together on Wednesday evening.
City defender Kyle Walker said a victory on Friday would be a terrific way to cap a remarkable 12 months during which it has won the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and UEFA Super Cup.
“I have experienced a lot of career highs, (but) it would top off what we did last season winning the treble as a group of lads that have spent a lot of years together working towards the right direction,” the 33-year-old said.
“It would be on par with one of my greatest achievements.”
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