Saudi champions Al-Ittihad have confirmed a strong starting line-up to face underdogs Auckland City in the opening game of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Though Italian international defender Luiz Felipe is out through injury and former Celtic striker Jota is on the bench, Al-Ittihad will start the game with three Club World Cup winners — Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Fabinho — in their run-on side.
Auckland City have left three of their most prolific goalscorers on the bench, in this year’s top scorer Angus Kilkolly, Ryan De Vries and veteran Emiliano Tade,
If Tade (35) gets on the pitch, he’ll equal the all-time tournament record of Al Ahly winger Hussein Elshahat of 12 Club World Cup appearances.
The match kicks off at 7am (NZT) and will be live-streamed by FIFA+ (see links below).
Squads
Al-Ittihad
READ MORE: Star-studded squad named to face Auckland City at FIFA Club World Cup >>>>
34 Marcelo Grohe
12 Zakaria Hawsawi
13 Muhannad Alshanqiti
15 Hassan Kadesh
26 Ahmed Hegazy
7 N’Golo Kante
8 Fabinho
10 Igor Coronado
16 Faisal Alghamdi
90 Romarinho
9 Karim Benzema
Subs
1 Abdullah Almayuof
88 Osama Almermesh
4 Omar Hawsawi
6 Sultan Alfarhan
11 Jota
17 Marwan Alsahafi
25 Suwailem Almanhali
28 Ahmed Bamasud
33 Madallah Alolayan
77 Saleh Aljaman
99 Abderrazak Hamdallah
Staff
Head coach: Marcelo Gallardo
Assistant coach: Matias Biscay
Assistant coach: Hernan Bujan
Assistant coach: Mariano Barnao
Assistant coach: Khalifa Hassan
Goalkeeper coach: Cesar Zinelli
Auckland City
READ MORE: PREVIEW: Auckland City keen to turn underdog status to their advantage >>>>
1 Conor Tracey
4 Christian Gray
13 Nathan Lobo
14 Jordan Vale
25 Michael Den Heijer
2 Mario Ilich
7 Cameron Howieson
8 Gerard Garriga
10 Dylan Manickum
12 Regont Murati
19 Liam Gillion
Subs
18 Sebastian Ciganda
24 Joe Wallis
3 Adam Mitchell
5 Timothy Boulet
6 Adam Bell
9 Angus Kilkolly
11 Ryan De Vries
15 Aidan Carey
16 Joseph Lee
20 Emiliano Tade
22 Zhou Tong
23 Alfred Rogers
Staff
Head coach: Albert Riera
Assistant coach: Ivan Vicelich
Goalkeeper coach: Enaut Zubikarai
Fitness: Adria Casals
Logistics: Keith Coton
Physio: Matt Payne
Officials
Referee: Tori Penso (United States)
Assistant Referee 1: Brooke Mayo (United States)
Assistant Referee 2: Katie Nesbitt (United States)
Fourth Official: Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo (DR Congo)
READ MORE: The trailblazing trio who’ll officiate Auckland City’s FIFA Club World Cup tie >>>>
Fixture
FIFA Club World Cup
Game to be played on Wednesday December 13 (NZT)
Al-Ittihad v Auckland City
King Abdulah Sports City Stadium, 7am (NZT)
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