Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal the next test for the new version of 'Pepball'

The main appeal of the Club World Cup so far has been the chance to see South American and African clubs and their fans offer a reminder that football thrives outside of Europe too.

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But as the tournament moves towards the business end, FIFA’s new competition is also providing the opportunity to see one of the game’s greatest coaches in the midst of rebuilding and recreating his dynasty.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have won six of the last eight Premier League titles along with a host of Cups including the 2023 Champions League.

But last year they looked like an empire in decline, finishing 13 points behind Liverpool with performances that were even less inspiring than the results they generated.

At times it felt like the end of the Guardiola era but the Spaniard has set about re-building his team and the 5-2 demolition of Juventus on Thursday indicated the process is moving along swiftly and successfully.

"I'm really pleased because the most important thing is the players have to realise what we have to do to get back to what we were the last decade," said Guardiola.