In one of the biggest surprises in recent football history, Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal knocked out English giants Manchester City from the Club World Cup on Monday, winning 4-3 in extra time. The Saudi club will now face Brazilian side Fluminense in the quarter-finals, ensuring a non-European team will reach the last four.
The match was full of drama, twists, and breathtaking moments. It finished 2-2 after 90 minutes, but Marcos Leonardo became the hero for Al Hilal by scoring the winning goal in extra time. This result is considered one of the greatest upsets in Middle Eastern football history.
Early Drama and Controversy
Manchester City started the game with confidence, having just beaten Juventus 5-2 in their last group match. They took the lead in the ninth minute, but not without controversy. Rayan Ait-Nouri burst into the box and his cross took two deflections before falling to Bernardo Silva, who calmly scored. Al Hilal players protested, claiming Ait-Nouri had controlled the ball with his hand. The referee, Jesus Valenzuela, checked the play but allowed the goal to stand.
City had several chances to increase their lead before halftime. However, Yassine Bounou, Al Hilal’s Moroccan goalkeeper, made a series of fantastic saves to keep his team in the game. He denied Savinho, Ilkay Gundogan, Josko Gvardiol, Jeremy Doku, and Bernardo Silva with outstanding stops.
Al Hilal Fights Back
The question of whether Manchester City would regret not scoring more goals was answered right at the start of the second half. Just one minute after the break, Joao Cancelo sent in a low cross. City’s goalkeeper, Ederson, parried the ball out, but Malcolm pounced on the rebound. His shot was blocked by Ruben Dias, but the ball looped up for Marcos Leonardo to head home the equalizer.
Six minutes later, Al Hilal took the lead. Cancelo played a long ball forward, and Malcolm used his speed and power to break away from the City defense before calmly slotting the ball past Ederson. The Saudi fans in the stadium went wild with excitement.
Manchester City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, responded with a triple substitution, bringing on Rodri, Nathan Ake, and Manuel Akanji to stabilize the defense. The changes helped, but City still needed to find a way back into the game.
City’s Comeback and More Drama
City’s pressure paid off when a corner from Bernardo Silva caused confusion in the Al Hilal defense. Erling Haaland was quick to react and scored from close range to make it 2-2.
City continued to push for a winner, but Bounou was in outstanding form. He made crucial saves from Akanji and Ruben Dias. Even when Haaland beat him, substitute Ali Lajami made a fantastic goal-line clearance to keep the score level.
Guardiola made another change, taking off Haaland and bringing on Omar Marmoush as the match went into extra time.
Extra-Time Thriller
Just four minutes into extra time, Kalidou Koulibaly rose high to meet a corner from Ruben Neves and scored with a brilliant header, putting Al Hilal ahead again.
Manchester City responded with a moment of pure quality. Rayan Cherki floated a perfect ball to the back post, and Phil Foden stretched to poke it home from a tight angle, making it 3-3.
But the drama wasn’t over. Al Hilal scored again to take the lead for the third time. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic headed the ball towards goal, and although Ederson made a save, Marcos Leonardo was there to bundle the ball over the line for his second goal of the night.
“This is one of the greatest nights in our club’s history,” said an Al Hilal spokesperson after the match. “The players showed incredible spirit and determination to beat one of the best teams in the world.”
What This Means for the Tournament
With this victory, Al Hilal advances to the quarter-finals, where they will face Fluminense of Brazil. This result guarantees that a non-European team will reach the semi-finals of the Club World Cup.
For Manchester City, this is a huge disappointment. The English champions had high hopes of winning the tournament but were outplayed by a determined Al Hilal team under their new Italian coach, Simone Inzaghi.
Conclusion
Al Hilal’s stunning 4-3 victory over Manchester City will be remembered as one of the biggest shocks in Club World Cup history. The Saudi club showed great heart, skill, and teamwork to overcome one of the world’s best teams. As they prepare to face Fluminense, Al Hilal have proved that anything is possible in football. Manchester City, meanwhile, will have to regroup and focus on their other competitions after this unexpected exit.
