Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal pulled off a stunning upset on Monday, defeating reigning European champions Manchester City 4-3 after extra time in a dramatic Club World Cup clash.
The result, widely considered the biggest shock of the tournament so far, saw the English giants crash out early.
The match ended 2-2 in regulation time, but Marcos Leonardo scored a decisive goal in extra time to seal a famous win and send Al Hilal into the quarter-finals, where they will face Brazilian side Fluminense. With this result, a non-European team is now guaranteed a place in the last four.
Manchester City struck first in the ninth minute, with Bernardo Silva finishing off a cross from Rayan Ait-Nouri. The goal sparked protests from Al Hilal players, who argued Ait-Nouri had used his arm in the build-up, but the referee allowed the goal to stand.
Despite dominating possession and creating multiple chances in the first half, City failed to extend their lead—thanks in large part to a string of superb saves from Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Jeremy Doku and Bernardo Silva were both denied in quick succession, as Al Hilal reminded City of their threat on the counterattack.
– City punished –
Just one minute into the second half, Al Hilal made City pay for their missed chances. Former City full-back Joao Cancelo sent in a low cross, which Ederson parried into the path of Malcolm. Though Ruben Dias blocked Malcolm’s shot, the ball looped up perfectly for Marcos Leonardo, who headed in the equaliser.
Minutes later, Cancelo again unlocked City’s defence with a long ball over the top. Malcolm latched onto it, outpaced his marker, and calmly slotted past Ederson to give Al Hilal a 2-1 lead, sending their fans into a frenzy.
Pep Guardiola reacted quickly with a triple substitution—bringing on Rodri, Nathan Ake, and Manuel Akanji—to steady the defence. The changes helped regain control, and City found an equaliser through Erling Haaland, who capitalised on a loose ball after a Bernardo Silva corner to make it 2-2.
City pressed for a winner late in normal time, but Bounou remained a brick wall, denying efforts from Akanji and Dias. Even when Haaland appeared to have beaten him, substitute Ali Lajami produced a stunning goal-line clearance.
With the match heading into extra time, Guardiola replaced Haaland with Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush. However, it was Al Hilal who struck first in the added period. Kalidou Koulibaly rose highest to meet a Ruben Neves corner, angling a brilliant header past Ederson to restore the Saudi side’s lead.
City responded again through Phil Foden, who met a perfectly floated cross from Rayan Cherki at the back post with a remarkable finish—stretching to poke the ball in from an incredibly tight angle.
But the drama wasn’t over. Al Hilal hit back once more, as Sergej Milinkovic-Savic saw his header saved by Ederson, only for Marcos Leonardo to follow up and bundle the rebound over the line, scoring his second of the night.
As the final whistle blew, Al Hilal fans erupted in celebration, and the match-winner Marcos Leonardo gave an emotional interview.
“I’ve had a difficult time in the last two months. My mother spent 70 days in the ICU,” he said.
“Today she’s fine, thank God. When I scored those two goals, I thought of her. She was able to watch the match.”
Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva admitted his side had struggled to cope with Al Hilal’s rapid counter-attacks.
“We scored three and could’ve scored five or six. It was all about controlling when we lost the ball, controlling the transitions, and not letting them run, and they ran way too many times,” he said.
“With one or two passes, there was always a feeling of danger coming from them. When we allow teams to run like this, we always suffer a lot, and today was the case,” he said.
— AFP
