Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki made their first appearances for Manchester City in a 2-0 victory against Wydad AC at the FIFA Club World Cup.
While Cherki seemed to be settling into his new surroundings, the Dutchman instantly looked the part as he was arguably the standout performer for Pep Guardiola’s side on Tuesday.
Tijjani Reijnders particularly shone in the first half, as he operated as a makeshift number six as his range of passing, spatial awareness and composure on the ball stood out.
Manchester City fans were full of praise for Reijnders as he impressed at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
- READ MORE: Tijjani Reijnders says ‘underrated’ Man City star could actually make him a better player
Man City fans praise Tijjani Reijnders as he stars vs Wydad AC
One Manchester City fan lauded Reijnders’ brilliant performance against Wydad AC by simply writing: “Tijjani Reijnders is so good. He fits in so well for us.”
Another City supporter hailed the Dutchman and claimed that alongside Rodri, the pair could form a world-class double pivot: “Reijnders is mustard. Rodri is a Rolls-Royce, them two together in the middle together are going to be ridiculously good.”
A third fan claimed the £48 million fee Manchester City paid for Reijnders looks like a bargain as he looks like the complete midfielder already: “Reijnders’ passing is elite: progressive, incisive, and always with purpose. Whether it’s line-breaking vertical balls, disguised switches, or tempo-controlling retention, his distribution elevates any midfield. Absolute steal, man.”
Another City supporter went as far as to say that the former AC Milan technician looks like a player who should really be worth in excess of £100 million due to how excellent he is: “Tijjani Reijnders is a £100+ mil midfielder that we got for less than we paid for [Matheus] Nunes. Absolutely unbelievable.”
A fifth City fan believes the 26-year-old is as physically imposing as Nunes while being so much more technically gifted: “Reijnders has that Nunes physicality with just twice the technical ability and composure. It’s some combination.”
Manchester City consider Reijnders as Ilkay Gundogan’s heir and a sixth fan feels he is tailor-made to take the German’s place in the long run: “Tijjani Reijnders can slot in and play a perfect first game because he is essentially Ilkay Gundogan’s base skillset. The difference between them is athleticism, Reijnders can carry/defend in big spaces much better.”
Having played only his first game in a City shirt, the Dutch international already seems to have a long list of admirers.
Tijjani Reijnders stats for Man City vs Wydad AC
However, it is difficult not to agree with Manchester City fans as Reijnders looked like the real deal against Wydad AC.
The stats back up just how well he fared against the Moroccan side.
| TIJJANI REIJNDERS STATS VS WYDAD AC | |
| PASSES INTO FINAL THIRD | 8 |
| SUCCESSFUL DRIBBLES | 1 |
| PASSES COMPLETED | 64/72 (92%) |
| DUELS WON | 2/3 |
| TACKLES WON | 1/1 |
| TOUCHES | 82 |
With the ball at his feet, Reijnders was virtually flawless, playing eight passes into the final third, completing a dribble, misplacing just eight out of his 72 passes after taking 82 touches.
Off the ball as well, the Manchester City new-boy did his job, winning two of his three contested duels alongside his one attempted tackle in what was an accomplished display from the debutant.
