Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has explained why he benched striker Erling Haaland against Juventus in their FIFA Club World Cup group stage tie.
Man City faced Juventus in their final Group G fixture at the Camping World Stadium.
A win for the Premier League giants would ensure they top the group with a maximum of 9 points, while Juventus would sit in second place with 6 points.
Both teams had already secured their places in the Round of 16.
However, Guardiola opted to start Omar Marmoush to lead the attack ahead of Haaland against the Serie A giants.
When asked why he benched Haaland prior to kick-off on Thursday night, Guardiola said (via DAZN Football): “Haaland benched? I prefer him for the second half, to be fresh and to do it.”;
Man City’s starting XI against Juventus: Ederson; Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri; Rodri, Reijnders; Doku, Bernardo Silva and Savinho; Marmoush.
![2025/2026 Carabao Cup first round draw confirmed [Full fixtures]](https://www.flyingeze.com/storage/posts/d99b52/0-carabao-cup.jpg)
