Prediction: Manchester City vs Al-Hilal

Verdict: Total goals under 2.5

Best odds: 19/20

Bookmaker: ZetBet

Both unbeaten in the FIFA Club World Cup to this point, Manchester City and Al-Hilal are set for a decisive clash in Monday’s last-16 tie at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Pep Guardiola’s side advanced to the knockouts with a perfect record, while their high-profile Saudi opponents settled for second place in their group, finishing behind Real Madrid.

Manchester City

Bereft of any silverware in 2024/25, Manchester City sent a strong message with a near-perfect group-stage display at the 2025 Club World Cup, emerging as the only team to collect all nine points on offer and securing a familiar place in the knockouts.

Guardiola’s men put eight goals past Al-Ain and Wydad AC combined, before facing a more formidable opponent in Juventus in a direct battle for top spot in Group G. Despite a misstep from Ederson — whose error was ultimately overshadowed by a worse mistake from Juve’s Pierre Kalulu — Pep Guardiola’s side surged to a commanding 5-2 win over the Italian giants to claim first place.

City not only finished the group stage with the highest points and goals tallies, but also boasted the best goal difference (+11). Remarkably, they spent 89% of their time on the pitch in the lead — a tournament-best figure.

Including the final stages of the 2024/25 Premier League season, City have now won five consecutive matches in all competitions. Still, they’ll face a tough test against an Al-Hilal side that remains unbeaten in the USA.

Team News

As City chase the Club World Cup title, they’ll have to do so without Claudio Echeverri, who suffered an ankle injury in training ahead of the Juventus game and may be out for the rest of the tournament. Rico Lewis is also unavailable as he serves the final match of his suspension, while Mateo Kovacic remains sidelined following Achilles surgery.

Erling Haaland came off the bench on June 26 to score his 300th senior career goal and is expected to lead the line again, likely replacing Omar Marmoush as Guardiola continues to manage his squad rotation.

Al-Hilal

While Manchester City dazzled with attacking flair in Group G, Al-Hilal relied on discipline and defensive resilience to navigate their path through Group H, scoring just three goals but conceding only once to secure second place behind Real Madrid.

Simone Inzaghi’s side began their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Madrid—the only team to breach their defence—before grinding out a goalless draw with Red Bull Salzburg. A decisive 2-0 win over Pachuca on matchday three, sealed by Salem Al-Dawsari’s exquisite lob and Marcos Leonardo’s late tap-in, ensured their progression to the knockouts.

Al-Hilal’s defensive record, matching that of Paris Saint-Germain with just one goal conceded across the group stage, was the foundation of their success. Since a 3-1 loss to Al-Ahli in the AFC Champions League semi-finals, they’ve gone unbeaten in eight matches and are preparing for only their second competitive meeting with English opposition.

Their first came in the 2021–22 Club World Cup, where they narrowly lost 1-0 to Chelsea in the semi-finals. Now facing a different English heavyweight in City, Al-Hilal will look to correct that result and book a quarter-final spot against either Fluminense or Inzaghi’s former club, Inter Milan.

Team News

However, Al-Hilal have suffered a significant blow with the loss of captain Salem Al-Dawsari to a hamstring injury sustained against Pachuca, which could sideline him for up to six weeks. In his absence, midfielder Mohamed Kanno stepped in and may start again as Inzaghi adjusts toward a more defensively focused setup.

In defence, former Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo prepares for a reunion with his old club, while ex-Chelsea centre-half Kalidou Koulibaly anchors a back line that has so far proven among the tournament’s toughest to break down.

Conclusion

Al-Hilal’s defensive approach served them well in the group stage, but even against a rotated Manchester City lineup, their resistance is likely to be broken sooner or later, making the last-16 tie feel like a formality from that point onward.

The absence of Salem Al-Dawsari is a major setback—both in terms of attacking output and leadership—and without their talisman, it’s hard to envision the Saudi side posing a serious threat. All signs point to City progressing to the quarterfinals with minimal difficulty, though with not too many goals.

Verdict: Total goals under 2.5

Best odds: 19/20

Bookmaker: ZetBet