Urawa Red Diamonds vs Manchester City prediction, odds and betting tips

Manchester City will begin their 2023 FIFA Club World Cup campaign against Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday.

Urawa Red Diamonds vs Manchester City best offer

Urawa Red Diamonds vs Manchester City odds

Find the latest match odds for Urawa Red Diamonds vs Manchester City. All odds are provided by our best-reviewed football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.

⚡Quick Urawa Red Diamonds vs Manchester City betting tips

• Back Manchester City to win both halves - 11/10 with bet365
• Tip Manchester City with a -2.5 Asian handicap - 6/5 with bet365
• Choose Julian Alvarez to score any time - 4/6 with bet365

Urawa Red Diamonds vs Manchester City predictions

Manchester City have the chance to win another trophy this week, but Pep Guardiola would probably rather be elsewhere.

City arrive in Saudi Arabia in an unusual position: they are in poor form. They have won just one of their last six Premier League matches and now trail Arsenal in top spot by five points.

That gap is likely to grow over the festive period. City are missing a round of Premier League fixtures this weekend. 

They then play after Liverpool and Aston Villa - the two other teams above them in the table - on gameweek 19. That means City could be 10 points adrift of the summit of the standings by the time they next take to the field domestically.

Their latest setback was an unlikely one. Fresh from making it six wins from six in their Champions League with a 3-2 triumph over Red Star Belgrade, City stormed into a 2-0 lead against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Palace have not collected many points of late and their squad has been decimated by injuries. By half-time of the clash with City, Roy Hodgson’s side were lining up with a midfield duo of forgotten man Jairo Riedewald and 18-year-old academy product David Ozoh.

Yet City still found a way to drop points. Jean-Philippe Mateta halved the deficit in the 76th minute, before Michael Olise stunned the Etihad Stadium with a last-gasp penalty.

In that sense, the Club World Cup has come at a bad time for City. Guardiola would surely rather be focusing on closing the gap in the Premier League right now.

Still, once City are in Saudi Arabia we can expect them to go all-out for another trophy to round off what has without doubt been the best year in the club’s entire history.

�� Urawa Red Diamonds vs Manchester City betting tips

Manchester City are going through a sticky patch but they should nevertheless come out on top in this one.

Manchester City to win both halves - 11/10 (bet365)

Urawa Red Diamonds qualified for the Club World Cup by virtue of winning the Asian Champions League in May.

The Japanese side beat Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia over two legs to claim the continental prize for the third time, following previous successes in 2007 and 2017. Only Al-Hilal have lifted the trophy more times than Urawa.

Maciej Skorza’s side, who finished fourth in the J1 League season that ended earlier this month, beat Club Leon of Mexico to reach the semi-finals of the Club World Cup.

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Urawa are renowned as a solid side. They had the best defence in Japan in 2023 but were outscored by four teams that finished below them.

The fact that Skorza is leaving the job after this tournament shows that Urawa did not enjoy as successful a domestic season as they hoped for.

So although City have not been firing on all cylinders of late, they should prove too strong for their opponents on Tuesday.

Manchester City -2.5 Asian handicap - 6/5 (bet365)

It will be interesting to see what type of team Guardiola selects for this clash with Urawa Red Diamonds.

Erling Haaland has been struggling with an injury over the last couple of weeks, missing the games against Luton Town, Red Star Belgrade and Crystal Palace. He is unlikely to be risked, while Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku are also sidelined.

There may be a temptation to rest some of Manchester City’s regular starters, but Guardiola cannot risk a defeat here. That would only compound his team’s woes ahead of upcoming Premier League games against Everton and Sheffield United.

There is also a trophy on the line. True, the Club World Cup does not hold the same value as the FA Cup, Premier League or Champions League. But City will do everything they can to avoid becoming the first European side to suffer a semi-final exit in the tournament’s current format.

Urawa Red Diamonds may be the reigning Asian champions, but they are far from the strongest side on that continent right now. With that in mind, a victory by a three-goal margin or more should be well within reach for City.

Julian Alvarez to score any time - 4/6 (bet365)

With Haaland set to miss out on Tuesday, Julian Alvarez is the likeliest pick to lead the line for Manchester City.

The Argentina international has looked leggy of late. He has scored just one goal in his last 10 club appearances in all competitions. He also failed to find the back of the net in two outings during the November international break.

But this competition could provide a chance for Alvarez to rebuild his confidence.

The forward should get plenty of chances against Urawa Red Diamonds. They will defend deep so Alvarez will receive the ball in and around the penalty area on numerous occasions.

Provided he starts, the 23-year-old is the best pick in the anytime goalscorer market.

�� How to watch Urawa Red Diamonds vs Manchester City

• Location: King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
• Date and time: Tuesday 19 December 2023, 6pm.
• How to watch: TNT Sports 2.

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

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