PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Phil Foden scored two minutes into the match and later had an assist to lead Premier League powerhouse Manchester City past Moroccan club Wydad 2-0 in the Club World Cup on Wednesday.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Phil Foden scored two minutes into the match and later had an assist to lead Premier League powerhouse Manchester City past Moroccan club Wydad 2-0 in the Club World Cup on Wednesday.
City broke Wydad’s five-man defensive line early when Foden scored on a deflected cross by goalkeeper El Mehdi Benabid.
Jeremy Doku doubled City’s lead in the 42nd minute off a corner kick from Foden. Shortly thereafter, an animal-rights activistran onto the fieldto protest Morocco’s treatment of stray dogs and cats. The man was tackled by security workers and escorted out of Lincoln Financial Field, which was just over half full with 37,446 fans in attendance.
There was another brief stoppage in the second half after a Wydad supporter threw a flare behind City’s goal.
In the 88th minute, Rico Lewis was shown a red card after a hard foul on Samuel Obeng, leaving City with 10 men on the field.
City summer signingsRayan Cherkiand Tijjani Reijnders made their debuts as starters. The club’s other new signing, defender Rayan Ait-Nouri, did not play.
Key moment
Doku’s strike at the far post put the game away.
Takeaways
Manchester City leads Group G and will face Al-Ain on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Wydad remains in Philadelphia, where it will face another tough opponent in Juventus.
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AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Mario Rodriguez Canuto, The Associated Press