It was a night Manchester City fans won’t soon forget, especially for 19-year-old Claudio Echeverri, who dazzled in his full debut as the English champions thrashed Al Ain 6-0 in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Echeverri, a January 2024 arrival from River Plate, earned his first-ever start under Pep Guardiola on Sunday night.
The young Argentine took full advantage, making an instant impact and powering City to a second consecutive victory in the tournament.
The rout began early when veteran playmaker Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring just eight minutes in with a moment of finesse, dinking a cheeky chip across the box and over the goalkeeper into the side of the net.
Then came the Echeverri moment fans will remember for years. In the 27th minute, the teenager stood over a dead-ball on the right flank and unleashed a left-footed rocket into the top-right corner. After his first goal for the club, Echeverri was swarmed by teammates.
City extended their lead just before the break, as Erling Haaland calmly converted from the penalty spot to make it 3-0 at halftime.
Returning after the interval, Guardiola’s men showed no signs of slowing. Gundogan notched his second with 17 minutes remaining, giving the scoreline a further shine.
Substitutes Oscar Bobb and Rayan Cherki made their mark late on. Bobb slotted in a composed near-post strike in the 84th minute, his first for the club since January 2024.” Moments later, Cherki got in on the act with a flourish.
The Frenchman, introduced in the 73rd minute, capped the performance with a silky exchange with Haaland.
The 21-year-old, brought on in the 73rd minute, combined with Haaland for a brilliant one-two in the 89th minute.
With the win, City have secured a spot in the tournament’s knockout stages, eliminating Al Ain in the process. The group’s top spot, however, remains undecided.
Both City and Juventus are tied on six points heading into the final round. Thanks to Cherki’s late contribution, City are level with the Bianconeri on goal differential at plus-eight, setting up a thrilling group decider.
