After a disappointing season for both clubs, they’ve been handed a lifeline in the form of the FIFA Club World Cup. Real Madrid and Man City are two of the main outright favourites, and their first games are tonight.
Manchester City’s main group stage rivals are Juventus. They won’t be facing each other today, so both teams will be looking to get three points without too much fuss.
Real Madrid have very little opposition, and they’re probably in the easiest group in the competition. What a surprise. They are facing Al-Hilal, who are predicted to finish second in the group, though.
Here are the outrights right now with bet365. The only teams left to play are City and Real Madrid, so there may be value in betting on them before the matches start.
| Team | Outright Odds |
|---|---|
| PSG | 11/4 |
| Real Madrid | 5/1 |
| Man City | 5/1 |
| Bayern Munich | 13/2 |
| Chelsea | 11/1 |
PSG’s odds have dropped since their first match, and if Real and City can muster a dominant win, their odds will likely drop too.
The outcomes of each match seem inevitable, but we’ve still found some excellent value picks for each match.
Group G Value Picks
Tonight’s group G matches are Manchester City vs Wydad Casablanca and Al-Ain vs Juventus. Both are pretty cut and dry, but we’ve found a few Club World Cup tips worth a punt with bet365.
| Man City vs Wydad Casablanca | Man City to Score in Both Halves (Super Boost) | 1/1 |
| Man City vs Wydad Casablanca | Over 3.5 Goals | 4/5 |
| Al-Ain vs Juventus | Dusan Vlahovic to Score or Assist | 18/25 |
| Al-Ain vs Juventus | Over 2.5 Goals | 4/5 |
Bet 1: It’s an unmissable punt! Bet365 are offering a super boost on Man City to score in both halves. They’ll be more motivated than most European clubs to win the tournament and keep their silverware streak up. A big win here is a must, and Pep isn’t a manager to show mercy.
Bet 2: Following the same thought process as bet 1, we think City will absolutely dominate in the group stage. City have featured in 21 matches with over 3.5 goals in all competitions this season, and City have scored 4 or more in 8 of those.
Bet 3: It’s been another mixed season for Vlahovic, but this tournament could be a good place to give him some minutes and boost his confidence. Vlahovic hit double figures in Serie A, so he still has it in him, and a start today could lead to a goal.
Bet 4: We expect Juventus to grab a win, and a 2-1 or 3-0 doesn’t seem far-fetched at all here. The odds of 4/5 are actually pretty high, we think.
Group H Value Picks
Tonight’s group H matches are Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal and Pachuca vs RB Salzburg. Real is almost guaranteed a win, but we may see a pretty even match between RB Salzburg and Pachuca. Here's the very best from bet365.
| Match | Market | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal | BTTS: Yes | 53/100 |
| Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal | Team to Get the Most Cards: Al-Hilal | 57/100 |
| Pachuca vs RB Salzburg | Solomon Rondon to Score or Assist | 11/10 |
| Pachuca vs RB Salzburg | Over 2.5 Goals | 33/50 |
Bet 1: Yes, we think that Al-Hilal have it in them to grab at least one goal on the night. It won’t be an easy task, but Al-Hilal are one of the best teams outside of Europe and South America. They are remarkably consistent, making it to four semi-finals of the AFC Champions League in 4 years, winning it once.
Bet 2: Real Madrid and Al-Hilal are pretty clean teams, receiving the fewest cards in La Liga and the Saudi Pro League last season. That said, Al-Hilal will likely be under the cosh for most of the match, and that leads to fouls and cards.
Bet 3: Remember him? The Premier League journeyman is a real bagsman at Pachuca and was their top scorer last season. If anyone will chip in with a goal for them, it’s good old Solomon.
Bet 4: This will be a close match, RB Salzburg are a surprise package, and probably the weakest European team in the competition. We expect them to come out swinging to prove that they deserve to be here. Pachuca will want to do the same, and whoever wins this game will likely progress.