'It's a long, long time since we played like that' - are Man City back?

The Club World Cup whitethorn person had a lukewarm reception successful immoderate parts during nan group stages, but Manchester City did their champion to kindle liking pinch a connection triumph complete Juventus connected Thursday.

City's sizzling capacity successful nan sweltering power of Orlando ensured the 5-2 hammering of their Italian opponents made it a flawless grounds successful Group G, allowing them to decorativeness apical of nan standings.

Pep Guardiola's men dominated nan title from commencement to finish, brushing disconnected a downpour during nan first half to laic down a marker successful this tournament.

The Spaniard has maintained this title is nan commencement of nan caller play alternatively than nan continuation of nan erstwhile disappointing 1 and was suitably impressed by what he saw from his players.

"I liked nan measurement we did it," Guardiola told Dazn. "It has been a long, agelong clip since we had a capacity for illustration this connected and disconnected nan ball. The players were committed and we are happy to hit a apical side.

"This is conscionable 1 game, but I deliberation nan players felt again what it was for illustration to beryllium a bully team. The belief ever comes from your performances, not your past."

For nan first clip successful 8 seasons, City vanished past word without a awesome trophy and ended 3rd successful nan Premier League aft having won an unprecedented 4 titles successful a row.

But connected Thursday, pinch 76% possession, 24 shots to 5 and 738 passes to 219, City took isolated nan 36-time Serie A champions pinch a capacity that will make nan remaining teams beryllium up and return notice.

City needed to triumph to travel apical and made nary mistake, avoiding nan half of nan tie which contains Paris-St Germain and Bayern Munich.

They will look Al-Hilal successful nan past 16 successful Orlando, Florida connected Monday (Tuesday 02:00 BST), aft nan Saudi Arabian broadside vanished 2nd successful Group H.

"I deliberation City person shook nan tourney tonight," said nan club's erstwhile goalkeeper Shay Given. "People will measurement up and deliberation 'wow these [players] are nan existent woody again.

"I deliberation they are going to bounce backmost and bounce backmost strong."

Guardiola added: "We were truthful fierce without nan ball. Ederson made unthinkable agelong balls to Erling [Haaland]. The astir important point coming is we tin consciousness it again.

"The players felt we tin compete successful that way. Last play it couldn't hap for 1 reason: we didn't person players. Since time 1 we've made a measurement up successful nan hit and training is unbelievable.

"This is nan only measurement to past - triumph aliases lose. Years ago, cipher could ideate Man City astatine nan Club World Cup. We are facing caller teams and it is an honour. We want to enactment here."

Juve will person taken a psychological sound moreover earlier kick-off, seeing nan sanction of Ballon d'Or victor Rodri connected nan squad expanse - it was nan 29-year-old's first commencement since sustaining a superior knee wounded against Arsenal 9 months ago.

The Spaniard managed 65 minutes and showed why he is truthful integral to this City team, displaying his assuredness successful nan mediate of nan parkland pinch a metronomic performance, completing a full of 67 passes.

By nan clip he near nan pitch, only defender Ruben Dias (84) had much touches connected nan shot than Rodri's 79, highlighting nan value of controlling nan game.

"Everyone knows really important is Rodri," said Guardiola. "He is 1 of nan champion players successful nan world. I americium happy he had a bully 60 minutes and he tin thief america a lot.

"Last play we couldn't do it for nan injuries. This play we tin person players fresh and effort to execute akin to today."

Guardiola said a lengthy wounded database derailed past play but against Juve he had an almost wholly fresh squad to prime from, barring nan injured Claudio Echeverri.

Jeremy Doku, Savinho and Phil Foden were each connected nan scoresheet arsenic City racked up 13 goals successful their 3 group shape games.

"The guardant play and nan goals Man City people is fantastic," said Given. "When they won nan title 4 times successful a statement we thought these guys were robots.

"Even Pep mentions 'we person sewage our mojo back'. We person sewage nan Man City back, which we each thought was automatic.

"It shows america that they are conscionable quality beings."

The lucifer besides saw Haaland notch a landmark strike, pinch nan 300th apical level extremity for nine and country.

The 24-year-old spent a spell connected nan sidelines past play done injury, but has now netted 5 goals successful his past six games.

In total, he has scored 258 times for nan clubs he has played for - positive 42 for Norway.

"Congratulations connected 300 goals," said Guardiola, who has won each 11 games arsenic head successful nan competition. "At 24 years old, it is simply a bully run.

"His head was an unthinkable footballer - he scored 11 goals successful 11 years. Imagine that business truthful I respect him a batch and happy for him."

There's nary uncertainty that Haaland's goals and Rodri's dependable power successful midfield are some important to City's occurrence - but who is nan astir captious cog successful Guardiola's side?

Despite Haaland's caller awesome goalscoring run, he really started Thursday's crippled connected nan bench.

It goes to show conscionable really potent City, aided pinch £100m worthy of caller signings anterior to nan tournament, are becoming again.

Who would really make it into Guardiola's first-choice XI? Try picking yours below.