Luke Lindholm
There is plenty of action in the FIFA Club World Cup today (check out my picks), but Thursday is the final day of group-stage matches, as Group G and Group H wrap up the action. I’m 12-4 with my FIFA Club WC best bets, and if you want to bet on Thursday’s slate at any of the best soccer betting sites, make sure to review the schedule below:
- Juventus vs Manchester City – 3:00 pm ET, TNT
- Wydad AC vs Al Ain – 3:00 pm ET, DAZN
- Al-Hilal vs Pachuca – 9:00 pm ET, DAZN
- RB Salzburg vs Real Madrid – 9:00 pm ET, DAZN
2025 Club World Cup Group G and Group H standings
Once again, Matchday 3 has all been about each group kicking off at the same time, but we already know which teams are going through in Group G, while Group H still has some shaking out to do. Here are the current standings for both groups:
Group G:
- Juventus – 6 Points (+8 Goal Differential)
- Manchester City – 6 Points (+8 Goal Differential)
- Wyad AC – 0 Points (-5 Goal Differential)
- Al Ain – 0 Points (-11 Goal Differential)
Group H:
- Real Madrid – 4 Points (+2 Goal Differential)
- RB Salzburg – 4 Points (+1 Goal Differential)
- Al-Hilal – 2 Points (+0 Goal Differential)
- Pachuca – 0 Points (-3 Goal Differential)
As you can see, Manchester City and Juventus will be facing off for the #1 spot in Group G, while Real Madrid, RB Salzburg and Al-Hilal will all be fighting for the 2 spots in Group H. Let’s get into my soccer picks for Thursday in the Juventus vs Manchester City and Al-Hilal vs Pachuca contests.
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Juventus vs Manchester City best bets: Erling Haaland Anytime Goalscorer (+120)
Odds available at Caesars Sportsbook at time of publishing.
The first game for Thursday determines the winner of Group G, as Juventus and Manchester City have 6 points apiece and an identical +8 goal differential. The Italian squad is slightly ahead of Man City because they’ve scored 1 more goal, but the separation between the 2 sides is razor-thin. Juventus has done well continuing their form from the end of the Serie A season, as they are unbeaten in 11 straight matches in all competitions under new manager Igor Tudor (appointed on March 29). The key for Juventus has been their defense, as they’ve allowed an average of just 0.73 goals in those 11 games. However, facing Pep Guardiola’s squad could be a different story.
Manchester City had a disappointing season by Pep’s standards, as they went trophyless for the first time under the Spanish manager. They had a chance to win the FA Cup, but Crystal Palace upset them 1-0, and it feels like Pep has set his team’s eyes on the FIFA Club World Cup. The Citizens won their first 2 games without allowing a goal, and they’ve had 7 different players score, with Ilkay Gundogan as the lone player with 2 goals. Although anyone in City’s lineup can find the back of the net, Erling Haaland remains the true threat for this squad.
These 2 squads met in the Champions League this past season, and Juventus won that matchup 2-0. However, it’s worth noting that this defeat was when City were completely reeling, as they were 1-2-6 in their 9 games entering that loss to Juventus. I expect City to get the job done, but I feel even better backing Haaland to score today. The Norwegian scored from the penalty spot last game, and he was peppering Al Ain with 6 shots and 4 shots on target. He still has the 4th-shortest odds of winning the Golden Boot at this tournament (even though everyone ahead of him has 2+ goals), and I expect those odds to shorten after tomorrow’s match because he should score at least once against Juventus.
My Pick: Erling Haaland Anytime Goalscorer (+120)
Read our full Juventus vs Manchester City prediction
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Al-Hilal vs Pachuca predictions: Al-Hilal 3-Way ML and Over 1.5 Goals (-120)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
The second pick comes from Group H, and I expect Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal to advance from this group when everything is said and done. They battled Real Madrid and RB Salzburg to 2 draws, but they’ll feel as if they should’ve collected 3 points from both matchups. This team is filled with guys who could be playing in Europe, and they run through Ruben Neves in the midfield, who is their lone goalscorer at this tournament. However, they should have a few more goals, as they registered 1.88 xG against Real Madrid and 1.41 xG against Salzburg. Now, they’ll get to go up against a Mexican side that has surrendered 5 goals in their 2 games.
Pachuca has scored in both games at this tournament, but they’ve had a disappointing campaign. After tying the game 1-1 against Salzburg, they allowed the game-winning goal in the 76th minute. They followed up that loss with a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid, who were playing with 10 men after Raul Asencio picked up a red card in the 7th minute. That didn’t stop Madrid from jumping out to a 3-0 lead, which officially eliminated them from the tournament. They’ve allowed a goal in 17 of their last 20 matches in all competitions, and I don’t expect that to change against Al-Hilal.
The Saudi Arabian squad has -150 odds to qualify from this group, and they’ll do just that if they pick up 3 points, and the Madrid-Salzburg game doesn’t end in a draw (it’ll come down to goal differential if it does). Although their games haven’t featured many goals at this tournament, 28 of their last 30 games in all competitions finished with at least 2 goals. Expect Al-Hilal to score the first goal, and don’t be surprised when they score a second. Even if Pachuca finds the back of the net, the Saudi Arabian squad has enough talent to win 2-1, so I’ll be tacking on O1.5 to their 3-way money line in this one.
My Pick: Same Game Parlay – Al-Hilal 3-Way ML and Over 1.5 Goals (-120)
Read our full Al-Hilal vs Pachuca prediction
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