There are a few long-shot outsiders in the Group G race, and rightly so considering Manchester City’s dominance.
| Group G winner | Odds |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | -250 |
| Juventus | +200 |
| Al Ain SCC | +2500 |
| Wydad AC | +5000 |
Odds courtesy of BetMGM. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
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Group G may not be tightly-contested
Most groups at this Club World Cup have at least one standout candidate, and Group G is no different. However, there is a slight difference in the sense that there are two sides heavily fancied more than the other two. It seems incomprehensible to assume that Manchester City and Juventus won’t be the top two.
Manchester City
Manchester City are the obvious outright pick in Group G, with their prowess on the biggest stage over the last five years unmatched. City have qualified by virtue of their 2022/23 Champions League triumph. However, their inconsistent Premier League season last term has raised some concerns.
City have endured their first trophyless season under Pep Guardiola since his first campaign in charge back in 2016/17. They did manage to get in form at the end of the season to finish in the Champions League places, having lost only one of their last 13 games in all competitions.
They’ve been busy in the off-season, as they’ve signed Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, and Rayan Cherki. Ait-Nouri will fill a major hole in City’s defence, and having Rodri back in form increases their chances at the Club World Cup. Guardiola’s men will likely perform at their best in this tournament.
Juventus
Juventus, a historic Italian team known for their success in major competitions, qualified for this tournament as the eighth-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA 4-year ranking. Surprisingly, despite their prestige and having won 11 international trophies, this will be their first appearance in the Club World Cup.
They journey across the Atlantic to America on the back of an inconsistent Serie A campaign, which just saw them secure the Champions League spots narrowly. Only Inter Milan have recorded more clean sheets than Juve in the Italian top flight last term. Therefore, we can expect Juventus to show classic Italian defensive resilience in this tournament.
Dusan Vlahovic was involved in the most goals in all 2024/25 competitions, so he could be Juventus’ main attacking threat. Meanwhile, World Cup winner Randal Kolo Muani will assist him in attack. He has ended the season in solid form, which he’ll look to carry into this competition.
Al Ain SCC
Al Ain aren’t a household name in football, as most casual fans have never heard of them before. Unlike Juventus, they have appeared in this tournament before. They competed in the 2018 edition and advanced all the way from the first round to the final before being defeated by Real Madrid.
They’ve showcased their underdog abilities in this competition before. They shouldn’t be counted off, as they’ve qualified for this tournament by winning the 2023/24 AFC Champions League. Moreover, they’ve won a total of 36 titles across all competitions, making them the joint-most successful Emirati club alongside Shabab Al Ahli.
Kodjo Laba is likely to be their go-to man, having become the first Al Ain player to win the UAE Pro League Golden Boot four times. He netted 20 times last season and has contributed to 175 goals in 145 matches for Al Ain across all competitions. Also, Bandar Al-Ahbabi is the only current Al Ain player to have scored at the Club World Cup.
Wydad AC
Like Al Ain, Wydad is an unknown name to most football fans. Arguably, they’re seasoned campaigners on this stage, though, having appeared in two of the last seven finals. However, their journey has ended in the second round both times.
They earned their place at the CWC by winning the CAF Champions League in the 2021/22 season when they defeated Al Ahly in the final. Al Ahly are also participating in this tournament, and they have recently demonstrated their ability to compete against sides at the Club World Cup. That's why their long odds could be misconstrued.
Mohamed Rayhi is Wydad's best scorer, having finished the Moroccan Botola Pro 2024-25 as Wydad AC’s top goal scorer with 11 goals. Most of their squad is made up of native Moroccans and doesn’t include any recognised players.
Wydad are a huge value pick to finish second
Juventus are the second-favourites to win Group G, behind Manchester City, but their price seems a little short since City have seemingly returned to form. Guardiola’s men have bolstered an already strong squad, while Rodri’s return is crucial to their chances moving forward.
There’s a huge gap in the Opta power rankings in Group G between Juventus, Al Ain, and Wydad in the race for second place. The bookmakers have an equal gap in the odds list, but the difference between Juve and City doesn’t make them attractive enough to win the group.
While Al Ain and Wydad are unlikely to win the group, they could still fancy their chances of sneaking into second. Both are at great odds to advance, but there is one standout factor that the bookmakers may have overlooked.
Wydad are ranked higher than Al Ain in Opta’s power rankings and have more experience on this stage. Also, according to Opta, Wydad have a 9.1% chance to finish second in Group G, while Al Ain only have a 4.7% chance.
Yet, according to the bookmakers, Wydad are over twice as unlikely to make the knockouts as Al Ain. There could be a lot of value for bettors to make a small play on Wydad to advance at Juve’s expense. Juventus have drawn many games, and in a three-game group setting, there is little margin for slip-ups.
We saw how the Moroccan national team defied the odds to reach the semi-finals in 2022. It wouldn’t come as a surprise to see a Moroccan club side go deep into the competition. However, the bookmakers would disagree.
With Manchester City likely to win this group at short odds, it would be smart to make a small play on Wydad to advance to the knockouts.