Their last defeat came in a 3-1 loss to Al-Ahli in the AFC Champions League semi-finals.
Since then, they've gone eight matches unbeaten and now prepare for only their second-ever competitive meeting with an English club.
Their first came against Chelsea in the 2021–22 Club World Cup semi-finals, where they suffered a narrow 1-0 loss.
Now, the Blue Waves will be eager to make amends — but to do so, they must overcome another Premier League powerhouse in a different shade of blue.
A victory would earn them a quarter-final clash with either Fluminense or Simone Inzaghi’s former club, Inter Milan.
As City chase global glory, they’ll have to do without Claudio Echeverri, who sustained an ankle injury in training ahead of the Juventus match and is expected to miss the rest of the tournament.
Rico Lewis also remains unavailable as he serves the final match of his suspension, while Mateo Kovacic is still recovering at home from Achilles tendon surgery.
After coming off the bench on June 26 to score his 300th career goal, Erling Haaland is expected to return to the starting XI, likely replacing Omar Marmoush.
Meanwhile, Al-Hilal suffered a major setback with captain Salem Al-Dawsari picking up a hamstring injury against Pachuca. The 33-year-old could be sidelined for up to six weeks.
In his absence, Inzaghi introduced midfielder Mohamed Kanno as a makeshift solution, and he is expected to start from the outset in a more defensively focused setup.
At the back, former City defender Joao Cancelo is set for an emotional reunion with his old club, while ex-Chelsea stalwart Kalidou Koulibaly remains the rock in the heart of Al-Hilal’s defense.
Predicted Starting Lineups:
Manchester City:
Ederson; Nunes, Khusanov, Gvardiol, O'Reilly; Gonzalez, Gündogan; Cherki, Foden, Doku; Haaland
Al-Hilal:
Bono; Cancelo, Tambakti, Koulibaly, Lodi; Nasser Al-Dawsari, Neves, Kanno; Milinkovic-Savic; Malcom, Leonardo
