Football 
Tennis 
Horse Racing 
Boxing Man City vs Fluminense Predictions: Betting Tips and Best Bets
On Friday it’s Man City vs Fluminense in the 2023 Club World Cup final, so of course, bettingexpert is on hand with predictions, tips and insight on the upcoming 90 minutes.
Two great footballing tacticians in Pep Guardiola and Fernando Diniz go head to head in what should be a Christmas cracker. South American expert Nathan Joyes previews the match and delivers his verdict.
Man City vs Fluminense Predictions
- Man City vs Fluminense Tip 1: Man City -1.25
- Man City vs Fluminense Tip 2: Man City Win to Nil
- Man City vs Fluminense Tip 3: Matheus Nunes Anytime Goalscorer
In this article:
Man City vs Fluminense Predictions – Tip 1: Pep to put Diniz in his place
Two opposing yet successful technicians meet on Friday in the Club World Cup final, and despite plenty of interest in Diniz, Man City’s dominance should shine through.
The English club simply brushed aside Urawa Red Diamonds with ease on Tuesday evening without getting out of second gear. The Japanese club didn’t have a single shot on goal, opposed to Pep’s side who hit 24 of their own.
There were a few rotations from Man City, as expected, but no one ever truly knows who Guardiola will pick. But with the opportunity to secure a fifth trophy in 2023, one thing guaranteed is a strong side will be put out capable of putting Fluminense in their place.
In the other semi-final, Fluminense came out on top 2-0 against Al Ahly, but it wasn’t quite as easy as the scoreline suggested. The Egyptian club had 14 shots against Fluminense, and carved them open on several occasions, only for poor finishing and decision making to let them down.
It wasn’t until the second half where the Brazilian club’s dominance shone through, before Marcelo won a penalty and John Kennedy wrapped it up with Al Ahly throwing players forward.
Fluminense only know one way in which to play – fluid, attacking, risky football – but they won’t get away with that against Man City. Expect the English side to dominate from start to finish, and with an ageing Brazilian side, fatigue will play its part.
- Man City vs Fluminense Tip 1: Man City -1.25 Asian Handicap (TRACKED BET)
- Best Odds: 1.80
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stake: 8/10
Man City vs Fluminense Tip 2: No way through for Flu
Man City are fully expected to dominate and lift the trophy, but there’s another route which creates an odds-against pick.
As mentioned, Urawa didn’t manage a single shot at goal in the semi-finals, and although Fluminense are a stronger side than the Japanese, breaking through Man City’s defence may just be an impossible task.
Despite scoring the second goal against Al Ahly, it’s likely Diniz will once again choose German Cano to lead the line over John Kennedy. With 40 goals to his name in 2023, the 35-year-old has performed incredibly well this year, but he’s yet to face a defence of Man City’s quality.
Fluminense are an ageing squad and this applies across the XI. Cano (35), Keno (34), Ganso (34) aren’t full of pace these days, and the likes of Kyle Walker, John Stone and Manuel Akanji should be keeping the named trio quiet.
Both teams to score no is priced at 1.75, which is why this bet at 2.050 represents far more value.
Man City vs Fluminense Tip 3: Nunes’ personal incentive
Who will start up front for Man City is anyone’s guess, but Matheus Nunes did everything but score in the semi-final. He created the first goal with his bursting run and ball into the box, before breaking Urawa’s defensive line on several occasions.
Make no mistake, he missed a sitter after Jack Grealish put it on his head from a few yards out, and no doubt the Portuguese forward will be desperate to rectify that on the final – if given the chance.
Julian Alvarez was rested, coming on in the 64th minute but I’m going to take a chance and say Nunes did enough to warrant another start in this competition.
What’s interesting with Nunes is that in a recent interview, he stated his whole family were huge Flamengo fans – Fluminense’s arch rivals – and the incentive to score against them on Saturday is very much there, from both a personal and professional point of view.
Not only may this be his only opportunity, but this may be his best. With Man City expected to come away with the trophy, and with the amount of chances created against Urawa, Nunes should have two-three opportunities to find the back of the net.
Considering he’s a bigger price than German Cano at the other end of the pitch, this is a bet I’m willing to take a chance on.
- Man City vs Fluminense Tip 3: Matheus Nunes Anytime Goalscorer
- Best Odds: 4.50
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stake: 6/10
Man City vs Fluminense Team News: No Norwegian in Saudi
Neither manager has any fresh injury concerns heading into the final, although Erling Haaland won’t feature for Man City. Haaland, Kevin de Bruyne and Jeremy Doku were all left out of Guardiola’s 23-man squad to face Urawa and the tournament rules state that no one else can be called up for the final.
Aside from the trio, where Kevin de Bruyne hasn’t featured since August anyway, both sides will have the same 23 to pick from on Saturday evening.
How to watch Man City vs Fluminense
- Date and Time: Friday, December 22nd, 18:00 (UK)
- How to Watch or Stream on TV (UK): TNT Sports
SAFER GAMBLING
At bettingexpert, we always take a safe approach to gambling. We’ll never bet more than we can afford or chase losses. For more advice, head to our Safer Gambling hub.
