City Book Last 16 Spot with Al-Ain Thrashing

City's march through the Club World Cup continued with a comprehensive dismantling of Al-Ain in Atlanta in the early hours of Monday morning.

The 6-0 victory at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium was never in doubt once İlkay Gündoğan's opener found its way past the Al-Ain goalkeeper after just eight minutes. What started as a hopeful cross turned into a goal that summed up City's evening - everything they touched seemed to work.

Guardiola had promised wholesale changes after the Wydad victory, and he delivered. Eleven fresh faces took to the field, with Bernardo Silva wearing the captain's armband and Rayan Aït-Nouri and Claudio Echeverri handed their first starts.

The changes paid off handsomely. Echeverri, the 18-year-old Argentine, announced himself with a gorgeous free-kick that curled beyond the keeper's reach midway through the first half. Joško Gvardiol nearly added a third when his header crashed against the woodwork, but City didn't have to wait long.

Erling Haaland stepped up from the penalty spot after Manuel Akanji was bundled over in the box - a decision confirmed by VAR despite initial protests from the UAE champions. The Norwegian's conversion made it 3-0 before the interval and effectively ended any lingering hopes Al-Ain harboured.

The second period brought more of the same dominance. Gündoğan's delicate chip doubled his tally, while substitutes Oscar Bobb and Rayan Cherki both found the net to complete the rout. Bobb's near-post finish showed typical composure, while Cherki marked his City debut goal with a thunderous drive that left the Al-Ain keeper with no chance.

For Al-Ain, managed by former Watford boss Vladimir Ivić, this represented a harsh lesson in European football's upper echelons. The Asian Champions League winners had earned their place through merit but were simply overwhelmed by City's superior quality.

The climate-controlled environment of Atlanta's 71,000-capacity venue meant the stifling Georgia heat posed no problems, allowing both sides to play at full intensity throughout the 90 minutes.

Guardiola's decision to rotate his entire starting eleven sends a clear message about City's ambitions in this competition. With Juventus awaiting in Orlando on Thursday, the Catalan knows his side must top Group G to avoid a potential meeting with Real Madrid in the knockout stages.

This performance suggests City have more than enough firepower to achieve that goal. The seamless integration of fringe players and academy graduates demonstrates the depth that makes them so formidable.

Al-Ain can return to the UAE with heads held high after reaching this stage, but they've encountered a City side operating at a different level entirely.