Fluminense and England’s Manchester City meet this Friday at 3 p.m. Brasília time (1 p.m. ET) at King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in the Club World Cup final.
Making its debut in the competition, the Rio club comes in riding high for “the big game” against the team to beat in world soccer. Fluminense takes the field after beating Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores final and Egypt’s Al Ahly in the Club World Cup semifinal, both times with a standout performance from young goal-scorer John Kennedy, Fernando Diniz’s not-so-secret second-half weapon.
Their opponent, trophy machine Manchester City, is missing key players for this final, and Pep Guardiola’s team has been struggling in a way it isn’t used to this season. The English club sits fourth in the Premier League after recent slip-ups against major rivals (Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace).
Even though it had no trouble reaching the final after beating Asian champion Urawa Reds, City heads into the decider with its eyes wide open; after all, the Rio side is far stronger than the Japanese team.
Online sportsbooks are currently paying (decimal odds):
9.75 for a bet on Fluminense;
1.35 for a bet on Manchester City;
5.6 for a bet on the draw (within 90 minutes).
