Already eliminated from the FIFA Club World Cup with one game to go, Wydad Casablanca and Al-Ain will face off at Audi Field in Washington, battling for third place in Group G. This is essentially a consolation match for both sides, who were unlucky to be drawn into the same group as Juventus and Manchester City—two of the top teams in this early stage of the tournament and already through to the Round of 16. Despite both teams sitting on zero points, Wydad, 22-time Moroccan champions, have shown slightly better form. They opened the tournament with a respectable 2-0 loss to Manchester City and managed to score their only goal of the competition in a 4-1 defeat to Juventus. Al-Ain, meanwhile, have endured a much tougher journey: they were beaten 5-0 by Juventus and then dismantled 6-0 by Guardiola’s City, conceding eleven goals without reply. That superior goal difference gives Wydad the small consolation of not sitting at the very bottom of the table, relegating the Emiratis to last place. As for the match in Washington, while neither side has anything tangible to play for, pride is still on the line. Both will be eager to claim their first win of the tournament and close their Club World Cup campaign on a high note. Expect both teams to put in maximum effort, hoping to leave their fans with at least one memorable performance from this otherwise disappointing tournament.

Wydad Casablanca Recent Form and Key Stats

Wydad Casablanca come into this match on the back of three straight defeats. Prior to the two Club World Cup losses to Juventus (4-1) and Manchester City (2-0), they were knocked out in the quarterfinals of the Excellence Cup by Union Touarga. Lorch’s goal against Juventus was Wydad’s first after two consecutive matches without scoring.

More broadly, Wydad have lost five of their last six matches, including pre-tournament friendlies against Porto and Sevilla, both ending in 1-0 defeats. Although they boasted one of the best attacks in the previous Botola Pro season and were crowned CAF Champions League 2022 winners, they’ve failed to compete with European clubs—scoring only once in four games against City, Juventus, Porto, and Sevilla, while conceding a total of eight goals.

Al-Ain Recent Form and Key Stats

Just like their Moroccan opponents, Al-Ain have suffered only defeats in this FIFA Club World Cup campaign, but with a starker contrast. They’ve failed to score a single goal and have conceded 11: five against Juventus and six against Manchester City.

Despite finishing only fifth in the most recent UAE league season, the 2023/24 AFC Champions League winners had shown promising form ahead of the tournament. Al-Ain entered the Club World Cup unbeaten in seven games, recording four wins and three draws, and remarkably keeping six clean sheets during that stretch.

Wydad Casablanca vs Al-Ain Prediction and Tactical Overview

With both teams eliminated from the knockout stages, Wydad Casablanca and Al-Ain will play for pride, each hoping to notch their only group stage win against an opponent far less formidable than City or Juventus.

A win here would see either side finish third in the group, avoiding a last-place finish with zero points from three matches. Coaches Benhachem and Ivic are expected to set aside tactical rigidity in favor of a more open, entertaining style of play.

Players to watch include Nordin Amrabat, one of Wydad’s most dangerous players in their loss to Juventus, and Soufiane Rahimi, who won the Golden Boot at the Paris Olympics last summer but has yet to find the net for Al-Ain in this tournament.

Given the stakes (or lack thereof) and the desire for a positive send-off, the prediction for Wydad Casablanca vs Al-Ain leans toward a match with several scoring chances, with at least three total goals expected.

• Wydad Casablanca vs Al-Ain prediction from the BetMines algorithm predicts a match with Over 2.5 goals at 55%.
  
  
• Wydad Casablanca vs Al-Ain prediction from the BetMines Algorithm predicts a match with Under 2.5 goals at 45%.

Wydad Casablanca vs Al-Ain Predicted Lineups

WYDAD CASABLANCA (5-4-1): Benabid; Moufi, Meijers, Boutouil, Ferreira, Moufid; Amrabat, Malsa, El Moubarik, Lorch; Mailula. Coach: Benhachem

AL-AIN (3-4-1-2): Patricio; Autonne, Park, Rabia; Traore, Nader, Palacios, Chadli; Kaku; Laba, Rahimi.
Coach: Ivic