After Al-Ain’s penalty shootout victory over Team Wellington yesterday, we now know who the six teams left to fight it out for FIFA World Club Cup glory are. Here we look at the super six left and dish out our predictions as to what may happen in the UAE.
The Arabian Gulf League champions just beat Wellington at home to make the second round. They will face Espérance Sportive de Tunis. Scrape through but will find the north Africans too strong.
The Tunisian giants won the CAF Champions League for the third time with a
4-3 aggregate win over Egyptian side Al-Ahly last month. Good enough to make the last four, but beyond that will be too much. The Japanese side won the AFC Champions League for the first time this year, thanks to a 2-0 aggregate win over Iran’s Persepolis.
Their battle against CD Guadalajara will be closely fought, but should have enough to get through. The Mexicans are the North American representatives by virtue of winning the CONCACAF Champions League, not the toughest of the continental competitions.
Will fall to Kashima Antlers in the second round.
The Spanish giants have won this tournament a record-equaling three times, the most recent being last year with a 1-0 win over Brazil’s Gremio.
Will make the final with ease but fail to make it three wins in a row.
The Argentine side arrive in the UAE on a high having beaten arch-rivals Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores final at the weekend. Have momentum and will become the first Argentine outfit to lift the trophy with victory over Real in the final.