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Foden leads City in their Club World Cup debut, but Lewis' red card spoils the party

Manchester City kicked off their campaign in the new Club World Cup with a convincing 2-0 victory over Wydad AC, thanks to the talent of Phil Foden and the energy of Jérémy Doku. However, the debut was not without controversy: Rico Lewis was sent off a few minutes before the end after a VAR review that left everyone perplexed. Pep Guardiola did not hide his displeasure with the referee's decision, and now the young full-back will miss at least the next match of the tournament against Al Ain.

The match, played under the sweltering sun of Philadelphia, got off to an unbeatable start for Guardiola's side. Barely two minutes had passed when Foden pounced on a loose ball in the area and fired it into the net, culminating a somewhat chaotic move after some good combination play down the left wing. The goal was a breath of fresh air for City, who were coming off a difficult season and needed to regain their confidence as soon as possible.

Wydad, the Moroccan champions with experience in this type of tournament, did not make it easy for them. With a high defensive line and quick breaks down the wings, the Africans caused some concern. In fact, Thembinkosi Lorch came close to scoring after a defensive error by the English side, but Ederson was alert to neutralise the threat.

Before half-time, Doku extended the lead with a precise finish from a Foden corner, confirming his great form. The Belgian, very active on the wing, was a constant headache for the Wydad defenders.

In the second half, Guardiola began to make changes. Rodri and Haaland, who started on the bench, came on to get some playing time alongside Oscar Bobb. The Catalan coach wanted to give some of his most recent signings a run-out, such as Tijjani Reijnders, who performed well as a central midfielder despite having arrived with a different role in mind. Rayan Cherki also made his debut, although he did not particularly shine.

The atmosphere in the stands at Lincoln Financial Field, which was just over half full, was lively, especially thanks to the Moroccan fans, who sang and made noise throughout the match. There was even a minor scare when a protester wearing a protest T-shirt jumped onto the pitch in the first half. He was quickly removed by security.

The sour note of the match came in the final stretch. Lewis, in a split action, unintentionally hit Samuel Obeng in the face after touching the ball. Although it did not appear to be a dangerous play live, VAR intervened and the referee ended up showing him a straight red card. Guardiola, visibly upset, protested unsuccessfully: "Rico didn't mean to hurt anyone, it was an unfortunate action. I don't agree with the red card."

Despite the sending-off, City managed to keep their cool and secure the three points. They are now preparing to face Al Ain in Atlanta on Sunday, although they will do so without Lewis and with the question of how to reorganise their defence.

Foden, for his part, was motivated after his great performance. "I had a difficult season, but I'm back and hungry. I want to prove my worth," he said. With performances like today's, City's number 47 could be knocking on the door for an early contract renewal.

Thus, Manchester City gets off to a good start in defending its world title, although with work to be done in defence and the need to maintain concentration in a tournament where any lapse in concentration can be costly.