Preview: Manchester City vs Al Ain

The Sky Blues of Manchester City will try to build off a 2-0 win over Wydad of Morocco tonight at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta against Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates. How much a threat they will face is a valid question as Al Zaeem struggled in a 5-0 loss to Juventus in their first match in the tournament.

When asked about the emotional response from his players to that loss, Al Ain manager Vladimir Ivić said, "To be honest, it was a shock a little bit. It's a totally different competition if we speak about our championship and this World Cup." He went to discuss that for his players, it's not easy to project the difference in level between his squad and Juventus. "I am not sure that they are watching the European competitions," he said.

Pep Guardiola speaking to the media in Atlanta (photo: Jon Nelson)

For Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, this is another competition to try to win. So much of the spotlight in England is currently on the lack of trophies last season (City won the FA Community Shield and were runners-up in the FA Cup), but Guardiola is not looking ahead to the Premier League season. He is looking to extend his stay in the U.S. for as long as he can.

"Once we are here, why should we not be fighting to stay longer and longer," he said. "This is not our best right now, but the question is if that game tomorrow can be better than the previous game, and learn from that so the next game against Juventus can be better than that."

One challenge for Guardiola is managing the return to fitness for two crucial players in John Stones and Rodri. The latter played 30 minutes against Wydad and will not start tonight. Stones did not feature in the previous match, but said to the media yesterday, "I'm back fit, ready to help the team when called upon."

Last season was a huge challenge for Stones, who suffered with a variety of injuries after an outstanding previous season playing in hybrid midfield role. "It's frustrating for me, I put a lot of pressure on myself," Stones said. "I found it very challenging mentally, some very low points in the past season. I've just got to come back, and once you come over those things, you can't really see the end of the tunnel when they keep happening."

"I've got to learn from that and I think it'll make me stronger in the long run."

Stones said he's ready to contribute now, we'll see if he makes his first appearance for City tonight since February against Real Madrid.

If Juventus defeat Wydad earlier in the day, City will know that a win clinches their qualification for the knockout stage. For Al Ain, a shocking result is necessary to give them an opportunity to prolong their stay in the U.S. and the tournament.

"We believe in ourselves, we are going to give the maximum, and we are going to see where we are against these teams," Ivić said.