Club World Cup Preview: Al-Ain vs Juventus – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Audi Field in Washington, DC, sets the stage for a handsomely-looking FIFA World Cup clash between Al-Ain and Juventus. With Manchester City facing Wydad later in the evening, a highly competitive Group G looks destined for a fascinating start.

Juventus qualified for the UEFA Champions League via another top-four finish in Serie A. However, the 2024/25 season didn’t go as expected. Despite massive squad investments, the Bianconeri never questioned Napoli’s Scudetto credentials.

On the contrary, they had to fear for their top-four status until the final weekend. Former manager Thiago Motta failed to meet expectations, and Igor Tudor will aim to avoid the same fate after steering the club back to Europe’s elite competition.

Yet, Juventus couldn’t add to their trophy cabinet in the season just gone. Therefore, their maiden appearance at the Club World Cup could be an ideal opportunity for the Turin heavyweights to halt a chastening 26-year drought without a continental trophy.

Unlike their rivals, Al-Ain triumphed in the AFC Champions League as recently as 2023. As such, they’ll return to the Club World Cup for the first time since 2018, when they had to settle for a runner-up finish after a 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the showpiece event.

The odds remain firmly stacked against the 14-time UAE Pro League champions. But they deserve the benefit of the doubt. After all, they defeated Juventus’ golden generation, featuring Gianluigi Buffon and Alessandro Del Piero, in a mid-season friendly in 2003.

Match Preview

Al-Ain

That victory is an ancient history. However, confidence should still be high around Al-Ain’s camp. Indeed, they headed into the tournament on a promising seven-game unbeaten streak in all competitions (W4, D3), racking up an impressive six clean sheets in that sequence.

Despite finishing fifth in their domestic championship last term, Al-Ain only lost two of their 26 league games without scoring. On that basis, it’s hard to envisage a ‘blowout’ in this fixture. Furthermore, they tend to make a spectacle of their international matches.

For context, 11 of their last 13 outings in the AFC Champions League have seen both teams on the scoresheet. Much credit for Al-Ain’s decent scoring record goes to long-serving stalwart Kodjo Laba. The veteran striker has amassed 145 goals from as many appearances for the club.

Laba will again hold the key to Al-Ain’s hopes of navigating this blockbuster section. Yet, three consecutive shutouts in the build-up to this trip across the Atlantic suggest Vladimir Ivic’s men will also rely on a newfound defensive solidity.

Juventus

After years of decline, few know what to expect from Juventus on the global stage. Indeed, the record-time Italian champions suffered an early UEFA Champions League exit in 2024/25 and were slow to recover ever after.

Juventus’ middling return of seven wins from 14 domestic games after the continental heartbreak doesn’t make for good reading (D3, L4). If it’s any consolation, they had finished the last Serie A season on a five-game unbeaten run (W3, D2), including a decisive 3-2 win at Venezia on the final weekend.

For so long, Juventus had been synonymous with defensive soundness. However, that’s now part of the club’s past, with the Bianconeri only managing three clean sheets across their last 11 fixtures. Therefore, Tudor will hope to address these leaks in the United States and keep his side in good shape ahead of 2025/26.

On the other hand, Dusan Vlahovic may be playing his last tournament in the Juventus shirt. Per Football Transfers, Manchester United have intensified their pursuit of the ex-Fiorentina striker despite Tudor’s willingness to reinstate the Serbian striker.

Perhaps this event could be his final chance to rekindle his Juventus career.

Team News

In addition to Laba, Al-Ain will heavily rely on the 2023 AFC Champions League MVP Soufiane Rahimi to lead the charge. Paraguayan ace Kaku is another exciting player in this international roster, while new addition Rui Patricio needs no introduction.

Meanwhile, Manuel Locatelli should be in contention for the starting line-up despite withdrawing from the Italy national team due to injury. However, this clash will come too soon for Gleison Bremer, Juan Cabal, Mattia Perin, and Arkadiusz Milik.

Al-Ain vs Juventus Potential Starting Line-ups

Al-Ain (3-4-1-2): Patricio; Autonne, Park, Cardoso; Traore, Nader, Palacios, Erik; Kaku; Laba, Rahimi.

Juventus (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Gatti, Kelly; Gonzalez, Thuram, Locatelli, Cambiaso; Conceicao, Yildiz; Kolo Muani.

Al-Ain vs Juventus Prediction

Despite all the struggles throughout the season, Juventus still boast a competitive edge in this contest. A narrow win for the Italian giants is on the cards. Indeed, this won’t be a walk in the park for Tudor’s side.