On June 18, 2025, Manchester City defeated Wydad AC 2–0 in Philadelphia. Phil Foden scored just 2 minutes into the match, followed by a volley from Jeremy Doku in the 42nd minute. Despite fielding a rotated squad including debutants like Reijnders and Cherki, City controlled the game, though Rico Lewis received a red card for a late tackle and may face suspension.
In Miami, Real Madrid drew 1–1 with Al Hilal in Xabi Alonso’s managerial debut. Gonzalo GarcÃa scored a beautiful team goal in the 34th minute, but Rúben Neves equalized with a penalty in the 41st minute after a foul by Raul Asencio. Valverde had a chance to win it in stoppage time, but his penalty was saved by Bounou. The extreme heat forced cooling breaks, affecting Madrid’s tempo.
In Cincinnati, RB Salzburg beat Pachuca 2–1. Oscar Gloukh opened the scoring early, and after a weather delay due to thunderstorms, Bryan González equalized with a free kick. Karim Onisiwo then headed in the winner in the 76th minute.
Juventus thrashed Al Ain 5–0 in Washington. Kolo Muani and Francisco Conceição both scored twice in the first half, with Kenan Yildiz adding a fifth. The dominant win followed a high-profile visit to the White House, drawing both sporting and media attention.
On June 19, four major matches were scheduled: Palmeiras vs Al Ahly, Inter Miami vs FC Porto, Seattle Sounders vs Atlético Madrid, and PSG vs Botafogo. These matches were set to continue the group stage excitement across various U.S. cities.
No comments: