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Urawa Reds will square off against Manchester City in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup on Tuesday.
Urawa Reds are the reigning AFC Champions League winners and booked their place in the semi-finals thanks to a 1-0 win over Leon, with Alex Schalk scoring the only goal of the match in the 78th minute. City will make their first appearance in the competition as the reigning UEFA Champions League winners and will look to leave a good account of themselves in this match.
The Reds have played three games in December, with two wins and a defeat in these games. City are unbeaten in their last three games and were held to a 2-2 draw by Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Jack Grealish opened the scoring in the 24th minute and 19-year-old Rico Lewis doubled their lead in the 54th minute, scoring his first-ever goal for the reigning champions. Interestingly, they gave away their two-goal lead, with Michael Olise scoring a stoppage-time equalizer from the penalty spot.
The Reds are making their third appearance in the competition and have never made it past the semi-finals.
Urawa Reds vs Manchester City Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams will meet for the first time. This will be the first competitive match against an English team for Urawa Reds and the first meeting against a Japanese side for Manchester City.
- Manchester City have suffered just one defeat in their last 13 games across all competitions, with that loss coming against Aston Villa earlier this month.
- After going winless in six games between October and November, the Reds have won three of their last four games, while keeping two clean sheets.
- City have scored at least three goals in eight of their last 12 games across all competitions.
Urawa Reds vs Manchester City Prediction
The Reds have seen an upturn in form recently, recording three wins in their last four games. Interestingly, they have won four of their six appearances in the FIFA Club World Cup. They have a decent goalscoring record in the competition, scoring nine goals in these matches.
Maciej Skorża is set to resign from his managerial duties before the new year, so will look to go out with a bang. Jose Kante has also announced his retirement at the end of the season, so will look to put in a good shift in this match. He picked up the assist for the match-winner against Leon on Friday and will look to continue that form in this match.
The Cityzens have been in good touch recently, suffering just one defeat in all competitions since the October international break. They have a clear advantage in terms of squad quality over the Reds and are strong favorites.
They will play for the fourth time in 10 days, so fatigue is one factor that will work against them. Pep Guardiola is hoping to welcome back Erling Haaland into the starting XI for this match as the Norwegian striker has missed the last three games with a foot injury.
Though upsets are common in this competition, considering City's squad depth and current goalscoring form, we back them to eke out a narrow win.
Prediction: Urawa Reds 1-2 Manchester City
Urawa Reds vs Manchester City Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Manchester City to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least one goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Jack Grealish to score or assist any time - Yes
