Manchester City vs Al Ain Bet Builder Tips: Back Al Ain stars to deliver in 9/1 shot

Manchester City began their 2025 Fifa Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Wydad Casablanca on Wednesday, and next up for the Citizens is a Group G game against Al Ain, who were thrashed 5-0 by Juventus in their opening match on Thursday. The two teams will meet at Audi Field in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday (02:00 BST, Channel 5/DAZN).

The Premier League powerhouses are huge favourites to beat their UAE counterparts, so in my Manchester City vs Al Ain Bet Builder Tips, which you can find below, I've put my full focus into Vladimir Ivic's charges, who account for all four legs of this 9/1 shot.

Al Ain Total Shots - Over 8.5

Despite shipping five goals to Juventus and failing to get on the scoresheet, Al Ain recorded nine shots against the Old Lady, forcing five saves from their goalkeeper, Michele Di Gregorio.

A game against Man City is perhaps even more daunting for the UAE outfit, but they would do well to remember that this isn't the Man City of old, or even last season.

In 2024/25, the Citizens have shown a vulnerability that has never been seen before, at least to these levels. While they eventually finished third in the Premier League, their Uefa Champions League qualification hopes were hanging in the balance for months, and they ended the domestic campaign having conceded 44 top-flight goals - more than any other team in the top four, and the same number as 13th-place Everton.

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Pep Guardiola's side gave up 13 shots to Fulham on the final day of the league on May 25, and in their next game, Wednesday's victory over Wydad, their opponents recorded 12 efforts, with two finding the target, despite City boasting 68% possession.

Evidently, there is still not the desired level of control in this City side, and perhaps that won't come back until Rodri, who has spent most of the season injured, is back in the starting XI. Guardiola has confirmed he won't be back in from the off on Monday, and that's enough to convince me that Al Ain can at least match their shot tally against Juventus.

Abdoul Karim Traore (AIN) Total Shots - 1+

Of the 9+ shots, I'm backing Abdoul Karim Traore to be behind at least one.

The 24-year-old, who is deployed as a right wing-back for Al Ain, averaged 0.7 shots per game in the 2024/25 UAE Pro League season, up from 0.6 p/g in 2023/24, while in the AFC Champions League Elite, he averaged 0.8 p/g, despite only starting in three of his six appearances.

One of his four efforts in the competition came against a star-studded Al Hilal side featuring the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly, Joao Cancelo and Renan Lodi in defence, and Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Aleksandar Mitrovic further forward.

Of course, Al Hilal's stars pale into comparison to those of City's, but it was another example of Traore trying his luck against more esteemed opposition, something he did again on Thursday.

Manchester City vs Al Ain Odds

The Guinean shot once against Juventus, seeing a headed effort from a set-piece miss in the first minute of first-half stoppage time.

Traore has now recorded at least one shot in his last three appearances, five of his last six, and 11 of his last 13.

City conceded 12 shots to Wydad in midweek, and one of their wing-backs, Mohamed Moufid, was responsible for one of them, while in their final Premier League game of the season, Fulham right-back Kenny Tete saw an effort blocked.

Soufiane Rahimi (AIN) Total Shots on Target - 1+

For the third and fourth leg of this Bet Builder, I'm heading to the 'Player to Have 1 or More Shots on Target' market, and backing Al Ain's frontmen to do the business.

First up is Moroccan attacker Soufiane Rahimi, whom I successfully backed to register a shot on target in his side's defeat to Juventus.

The 29-year-old, who won the Golden Boot at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, shot twice against the Old Lady, seeing his first effort saved in the 19th minute before missing the target six minutes later.

Football Odds

Rahimi failed to fire in Washington but did net 13 times in as many AFC Champions League Elite outings last season and was responsible for 45.5% (five) of their 11-goal tally in the competition this term.

He averaged 3.7 shots per game - 1.2 on target - in the 2024/25 UAE Pro League and 3.1 per game - 1.3 on target - in the AFC Champions League Elite, and has registered seven shots on target across his last seven appearances.

City conceded two shots on target against Wydad, with the first coming from their left-winger, Thembinkosi Lorch, and Rahimi is expected to operate in a similar position to him for Al Ain on Monday.

Kodjo Laba (AIN) Total Shots on Target - 1+

Wydad's second shot on target against City came from their striker, Cassius Mailula, who forced a save from Ederson Moraes in the 32nd minute with his only effort of the game.

Kodjo Laba is expected to start up top again for Al Ain on Monday, and while he failed to get on the scoresheet against Juventus, he should be encouraged by the fact he directed two of his three shots in Washington on target, with Di Gregorio coming up trumps for the Italian giants on both occasions.

Laba won the 2024/25 UAE Pro League Golden Boot, netting 20 goals, four more than his nearest challenger, Ittihad Kalba's Mehdi Ghayedi, and 11 more than his closest teammate, Rahimi.

The 33-year-old averaged 4.9 shots and 2.1 shots on target per game in the UAE top flight, similar statistics to the previous season (5.4 shots p/g, 1.9 shots on target p/g), and he will back himself to at least test Ederson in City's net on Monday.

The Citizens have conceded 2+ shots on target in their last four matches, and I think Al Ain can make that five in Atlanta, with Rahimi and Laba helping themselves to one apiece.

Offers

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