Man City vs Al Hilal: The Champions League Rematch Nobody Saw Coming
Two years ago, Pep Guardiola and Simone Inzaghi clashed under the lights of Istanbul in the 2023 UEFA Champions League final. That night belonged to City. Fast forward to 2025 and here we are again. Different tournament, different city, same tactical minds going head-to-head. This time, it’s happening in Orlando. Yes, that Orlando. Theme parks by day, football chess matches by night.
Matchday: Monday, June 30, 2025
Kickoff: 9:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida
Referee: Jesús Valenzuela (Venezuela), known for keeping things lively
The Storylines: City Cruising, Hilal Building
Manchester City breezed through the group stage. Three matches, three wins, thirteen goals scored, only three conceded. Their most recent outing was a 5-2 clinic against Juventus. Haaland grabbed his 300th career goal, Foden looked electric, Doku terrorized defenders, and even Rayan Cherki got in on the action. It’s business as usual for Pep’s machine.
On the other side, Al Hilal are finding their rhythm under Inzaghi. No longer just a big-name collection, they’re starting to function like a real team. Wins over RB Salzburg and a gritty effort against Pachuca got them here. Koulibaly is anchoring the backline, Neves is orchestrating from deep, and Mitrovic is bulldozing his way through defenders like it’s still 2022.
What the Managers Said
“It’s always a pleasure to face Pep. Games like this help us grow. We know we’re up against the best,” said Simone Inzaghi in the pre-match press conference.
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“Stay focused. Stay sharp. This is knockout football,” said Pep Guardiola, likely during a perfectly timed tactical monologue.
Whoever wins this one will meet Inter Milan or Monterrey in the quarterfinals. So yes, there’s plenty on the line. Maybe even revenge.
Predicted Lineups Man City vs Al Hilal
Manchester City (4-2-3-1):
Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, Aït-Nouri; Gonzalez, Gündoğan; Savinho, Foden, Doku; Haaland.
Al Hilal (4-3-1-2):
Bono; Cancelo, Tambakti, Koulibaly, Lodi; N. Al-Dawsari, Neves, Kanno; Milinkovic-Savic; Malcom, Leonardo.
The Cancelo vs City subplot writes itself. Former student returns for one night only. And he’s not coming back quietly.
Where to Watch Man City vs Al Hilal
| Country | TV Channel / Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | DAZN, Channel 5 |
| United States | DAZN, TUDN.com, Univision NOW, Watch TNT, TUDN App, TNT USA, truTV USA, TUDN USA, UniMás |
| Canada | DAZN |
| Mexico | DAZN, ViX, tabii |
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