The Matchday 1 clash of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup between Al-Ain (UAE) and Juventus (Italy) will take place on June 19 at Audi Field in Washington, USA. Al-Ain vs. Juventus: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Al-Ain
The team qualified for the tournament as the winner of the 2023/24 AFC Champions League. However, they failed to advance from the group stage in the last Asian Champions League. This marks Al-Ain's second appearance in the Club World Cup; in 2018, they reached the final, where they lost 4-1 to Real Madrid. Additionally, Al-Ain finished only sixth in the last UAE league season.
Since February, the team has been led by head coach Vladimir Ivic, who previously worked with Krasnodar. Notable players include forward Kodjo Laba, who was the top scorer in the last UAE league with 20 goals in 21 matches. The Togolese striker has scored 118 goals in 129 appearances over six seasons in the Arab league.
- The club is on an eight-match winless streak in regular time in the AFC Champions League (2 draws and 6 losses).
- Both teams scored in 12 of Al-Ain's last 13 Asian Champions League games over 90 minutes.
- The team conceded in regular time in 6 of their last 7 AFC Champions League matches.
Predicted lineup for Al-Ain (4-3-3)
Khalid Eisa – Amadou Niang, Abdul Karim Traore, Kouame Kouadio, Erik – Yahya Nader, Park Yeong-woo, Matias Palacios – Kaku, Kodjo Laba, Soufiane Rahimi.
Juventus
In the past five seasons, Juventus has not progressed beyond the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League, but they qualified for the Club World Cup based on their UEFA ranking over the last four years. Interestingly, this is Juventus's first appearance in the Club World Cup. Last season, the team was eliminated in the round of 16 of the Champions League by PSV and finished fourth in Serie A. They ended the season with a five-match unbeaten run in the league, recording 3 wins and 2 draws.
During the offseason, Juventus management sought a new head coach but retained Igor Tudor, who has been leading the club since March this year.
- Juventus has not won in regular time in 6 of their last 8 UEFA Champions League matches (3 draws and 3 losses).
- A maximum of two goals were scored in 6 of Juventus's last 8 European Champions League games over 90 minutes.
- The team did not score in the first half in 7 of their last 8 UEFA Champions League matches.
Predicted lineup for Juventus (4-5-1)
Michele Di Gregorio – Andrea Cambiaso, Lloyd Kelly, Pierre Kalulu, Alberto Costa – Manuel Locatelli, Francisco Conceição, Nicolas Gonzalez, Weston McKennie, Timothy Weah – Arkadiusz Milik.
Referee
Tori Penso (USA)
Matches – 8 (International matches, 2023–2025);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 13;
Average yellow cards per match – 1.6;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 19;
Penalties – 25%.
Match Prediction: Al-Ain vs. Juventus
Despite their poor UEFA Champions League performance, Juventus is favored in the upcoming match. However, I believe the Italians will not defeat the Arab team by a large margin, as Al-Ain boasts an experienced squad with a standout striker in Kodjo Laba. Juventus struggled with finishing last season, and their results have not been impressive. The team ended up being the most draw-prone club in Serie A, with 16 draws in 38 matches.
In the UEFA Champions League, Juventus has not won by a large margin in their last 23 matches. In Serie A, they have not secured a victory by three or more goals in their last 15 matches. Al-Ain, on the other hand, has not lost by a large margin in 21 of their last 22 AFC Champions League games. Additionally, they have not suffered a defeat by more than two goals in their last 115 league matches. Therefore, my prediction is: Al-Ain with a handicap (+2).
