Manchester City is set to play their second match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, traveling to Atlanta, Georgia, to face Al Ain of the UAE. This upcoming fixture follows an opening matchday win for Pep Guardiola's side, where they secured a 2-0 victory over Moroccan club Wydad AC, with goals courtesy of Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku. Al Ain, on the other hand, suffered a significant 5-0 defeat to Juventus in their first match, highlighting their determination to perform better against Manchester City.

For the clash against Al Ain, Manchester City will be without defender Rico Lewis, who is serving a one-match ban following a late red card in the previous game. Additionally, head coach Pep Guardiola has confirmed that neither John Stones nor Rodri are fit enough to start the match. Guardiola has indicated a strong likelihood of fielding a largely changed line-up from the one that started against Wydad AC, with potentially up to ten new players getting an opportunity.

Based on these indications and team assessments, the predicted starting XI for Manchester City against Al Ain at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium is as follows: Ederson is expected to retain his place in goal. The defense is anticipated to feature Matheus Nunes at right-back, taking advantage of Rico Lewis's suspension, alongside a central defensive partnership of Abdukodir Khusanov and Josko Gvardiol. Rayan Ait-Nouri is predicted to make his Manchester City debut at left-back, marking another new signing's first appearance.

In the midfield, a blend of experience and youth is expected, with Nico slotting into the deepest-lying role due to Rodri's continued absence from the starting line-up. Ilkay Gundogan, whose future remains a subject of speculation, is predicted to start alongside the highly-rated Claudio Echeverri, who could make his first start in a Manchester City shirt. The traditional front-three is likely to see the full return of Oscar Bobb on the right, following a challenging ten months marred by fitness and injury concerns. Erling Haaland is highly anticipated to lead the line after his substitute appearance in the previous match. On the left wing, in a decision that could be surprising, Bernardo Silva has been predicted to start, potentially even wearing the captain's armband for the first time.

The full predicted starting XI is: Ederson; Nunes, Khusanov, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri; Nico, Gundogan, Echeverri; Bobb, Haaland, Bernardo. The substitutes available for the match are expected to include Ortega Moreno, Bettinelli, Dias, Akanji, Stones, Reis, Ake, O’Reilly, Rodri, Reijnders, Foden, Cherki, Savinho, Marmoush, and Doku.

FIFA has also announced the match officials for this encounter. Algerian referee Mustapha Ghorbal, a seasoned international referee since 2014, will oversee the proceedings on the field. He has a notable record, having taken charge of 19 matches in the 2024/25 season, issuing 87 yellow cards, three red cards, and awarding six penalties. Assisting Ghorbal will be fellow Algerian officials Mokrane Gourari and Abbes Akram Zerhouni. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) team includes Mahmoud Ashour of Egypt, Leodan Gonzalez of Uruguay as Assistant VAR, and Fu Ming of China as Support VAR. The fourth official standing between the dugouts will be Iranian-Australian Alireza Faghani. All matches of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States are available to watch live and for free exclusively with DAZN.