Urawa Red Diamonds will take on Al Ahly in the third-place playoff of the Club World Cup. For the sixth time in the tournament’s 20-year history, Al Ahly has advanced to the third-place playoff. Urawa is vying for the bronze medal for the second time in their history.
Preview (Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Al Ahly)
Urawa Red Diamonds were rewarded with a glamorous semi-final matchup against European champions Manchester City after defeating Club Leon 1-0 in the second round. However, they were fully aware of the enormous job ahead of them in their quest. Maciej Skorza’s team showed a lot of defensive tenacity and frustrated Man City for most of the first half. However, their persistent efforts were in vain as the Citizens took the lead shortly before halftime.
The Reds’ aspirations of winning the Club World Cup were dashed in the second half as Man City’s Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva both scored goals to consign a determined Urawa team to a 3-0 loss. Urawa’s defense of the Asian Champions League title ended earlier this month in the group stage. They have only managed three victories in 11 games across all competitions. Additionally, their fourth-place result in the Japanese J1 League means they will not be returning to the competition next year.
Skorza has stated that he would step down from his position following Friday’s match. The Polish player will want to go out with a win over Al Ahly. The Reds will undoubtedly remember their lone prior trip to the third-place playoff. They defeated Etoile Sportive du Sahel, a Tunisian club, on penalties after a 120-minute 2-2 draw. Al Ahly lost 2-0 to Brazilian team Fluminense in the semi-finals on Monday. Up until the last 20 minutes, there wasn’t much separating the two teams. Al Ahly has played the most games (24) of any team in the history of the Club World Cup. They are currently preparing for their fourth consecutive third-place playoff match and their record-breaking sixth overall.
Team News
Friday’s game will serve as both manager Skorza’s farewell to the Urawa dugout and as a swan song for 33-year-old Guinea international Jose Kante, who announced his retirement last month. Kante will play his final career match against Al Ahly. After overcoming setbacks to start against Man City, right-back Takayuki Sekine, left-back Takayuki Akimoto, and winger Tomoaki Okubo are predicted to remain in the starting lineup for the Reds. For the third straight game, Skorza might start with the same lineup, but Alex Schalk, the Dutch attacker who netted Urawa’s lone goal against Club Leon in the second round, will be looking to push his way into the starting lineup.
Ahmed Kouka, an Al Ahly midfielder, was not used as a substitute against Fluminense due to an injury sustained in the previous game. However, Kouka may be able to return to the starting lineup in place of Akram Tawfik. However, on Monday, the Frenchman—formerly of Koln and Borussia Dortmund—served a one-game ban and is now eligible to start up front ahead of Kahraba.
Urawa Red Diamonds 1-2 Al Ahly
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