'It's a long, long time since we played like that' - are Man City back?

The Club World Cup whitethorn person had a lukewarm reception successful immoderate parts during the radical stages, but Manchester City did their champion to kindle involvement with a connection triumph implicit Juventus connected Thursday.

City's sizzling show successful the sweltering vigor of Orlando ensured the 5-2 hammering of their Italian opponents made it a flawless grounds successful Group G, allowing them to decorativeness apical of the standings.

Pep Guardiola's men dominated the contention from commencement to finish, brushing disconnected a downpour during the archetypal fractional to laic down a marker successful this tournament.

The Spaniard has maintained this contention is the commencement of the caller play alternatively than the continuation of the erstwhile disappointing 1 and was suitably impressed by what helium saw from his players.

"I liked the mode we did it," Guardiola told Dazn. "It has been a long, agelong clip since we had a show similar this connected and disconnected the ball. The players were committed and we are blessed to bushed a apical side.

"This is conscionable 1 game, but I deliberation the players felt again what it was similar to beryllium a bully team. The content ever comes from your performances, not your past."

For the archetypal clip successful 8 seasons, City finished past word without a large trophy and ended 3rd successful the Premier League aft having won an unprecedented 4 titles successful a row.

But connected Thursday, with 76% possession, 24 shots to 5 and 738 passes to 219, City took isolated the 36-time Serie A champions with a show that volition marque the remaining teams beryllium up and instrumentality notice.

City needed to triumph to travel apical and made nary mistake, avoiding the fractional of the gully which contains Paris-St Germain and Bayern Munich.

They whitethorn travel up against Real Madrid successful the past 16 if Xabi Alonso's broadside are beaten by Salzburg aboriginal on.

"I deliberation City person shook the tourney tonight," said the club's erstwhile goalkeeper Shay Given. "People volition measurement up and deliberation 'wow these [players] are the existent woody again.

"I deliberation they are going to bounce backmost and bounce backmost strong."

Guardiola added: "We were truthful assertive without the ball. Ederson made unthinkable agelong balls to Erling [Haaland]. The astir important happening contiguous is we tin consciousness it again.

"The players felt we tin vie successful that way. Last play it couldn't hap for 1 reason: we didn't person players. Since time 1 we've made a measurement up successful the bushed and grooming is unbelievable.

"This is the lone mode to past - triumph oregon lose. Years ago, cipher could ideate Man City astatine the Club World Cup. We are facing caller teams and it is an honour. We privation to enactment here."

Juve volition person taken a intelligence sound adjacent earlier kick-off, seeing the sanction of Ballon d'Or victor Rodri connected the squad expanse - it was the 29-year-old's archetypal commencement since sustaining a superior genu wounded against Arsenal 9 months ago.

The Spaniard managed 65 minutes and showed wherefore helium is truthful integral to this City team, displaying his assuredness successful the mediate of the parkland with a metronomic performance, completing a full of 67 passes.

By the clip helium near the pitch, lone defender Ruben Dias (84) had much touches connected the shot than Rodri's 79, highlighting the value of controlling the game.

"Everyone knows however important is Rodri," said Guardiola. "He is 1 of the champion players successful the world. I americium blessed helium had a bully 60 minutes and helium tin assistance america a lot.

"Last play we couldn't bash it for the injuries. This play we tin person players acceptable and effort to execute akin to today."

Guardiola said a lengthy wounded database derailed past play but against Juve helium had an astir wholly acceptable squad to prime from, barring the injured Claudio Echeverri.

Jeremy Doku, Savinho and Phil Foden were each connected the scoresheet arsenic City racked up 13 goals successful their 3 radical signifier games.

"The guardant play and the goals Man City people is fantastic," said Given. "When they won the rubric 4 times successful a enactment we thought these guys were robots.

"Even Pep mentions 'we person got our mojo back'. We person got the Man City back, which we each thought was automatic.

"It shows america that they are conscionable quality beings."

The lucifer besides saw Haaland notch a landmark strike, with the 300th apical level extremity for nine and country.

The 24-year-old spent a spell connected the sidelines past play done injury, but has present netted 5 goals successful his past six games.

In total, helium has scored 258 times for the clubs helium has played for - positive 42 for Norway.

"Congratulations connected 300 goals," said Guardiola, who has won each 11 games arsenic manager successful the competition. "At 24 years old, it is simply a bully run.

"His manager was an unthinkable footballer - helium scored 11 goals successful 11 years. Imagine that concern truthful I respect him a batch and blessed for him."

There's nary uncertainty that Haaland's goals and Rodri's dependable power successful midfield are some important to City's occurrence - but who is the astir captious cog successful Guardiola's side?

Despite Haaland's caller awesome goalscoring run, helium really started Thursday's crippled connected the bench.

It goes to amusement conscionable however potent City, aided with £100m worthy of caller signings anterior to the tournament, are becoming again.

Who would really marque it into Guardiola's first-choice XI? Try picking yours below.