In a major upset at the Club World Cup, Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal defeated English giants Manchester City 4-3 in extra time on Monday. This hard-fought victory was a significant moment for the last team remaining in the competition from outside Europe or South America.
Manchester City began strongly, taking an early lead through Bernardo Silva just nine minutes in. However, the goal was met with protests from Al-Hilal players and staff, who claimed there was a handball involving Ilkay Gundogan in the crowded penalty area before the ball fell to Silva for the close-range finish. Despite heated on-field discussions, the referee allowed the goal to stand.
City maintained their dominance throughout the first half, pressing a more defensive Al-Hilal side. They registered nine shots, with seven on target, and accumulated an expected goals tally of 2.08 before the break. Yet, Al-Hilal`s goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, was in outstanding form, making six crucial saves to keep his team in the game.
The second half saw a shift in momentum. Al-Hilal found an equalizer within a minute of the restart, courtesy of Marcos Leonardo. Joao Cancelo delivered a cross into the box that Ederson initially touched, but the ball bounced back and forth before landing for Leonardo. His light header surprisingly beat the City goalkeeper, despite lacking pace.
Just six minutes later, Al-Hilal took the lead for the first time in the match. A swift counter-attack saw Cancelo pass to Malcom, who then went on a long run before expertly slotting the ball into the back of the net with a shot from distance.
Al-Hilal`s lead was short-lived, as Erling Haaland equalized for City only three minutes later. Following a corner, the Norway international did well to track the ball through the penalty area chaos and eventually scored from close range.
With the score tied at 2-2 after regular time, the match moved into a thrilling 30 minutes of extra time. Al-Hilal struck first again, with Kalidou Koulibaly heading home a corner in the 94th minute to make it 3-2. The back-and-forth nature continued, with City equalizing 10 minutes later through substitute Phil Foden, who finished calmly after receiving a superb cross into the box from Rayan Cherki.
The decisive goal in this seven-goal thriller came eight minutes from the final whistle. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic`s header was saved by Ederson, but the ball rebounded directly back into play. Marcos Leonardo, even as he was falling, managed to get the vital final touch, sending the ball past Ederson and into the net for the winning goal.
Despite City`s overall dominance – highlighted by 30 shots to Al-Hilal`s 17, 14 on target, and a 4.21 expected goals tally compared to 3.16 – they were undone by Bounou`s stellar performance, who made 11 saves in total, and their own defensive lapses. This means Manchester City will finish a season without a major trophy for the first time since Pep Guardiola`s arrival in 2016.
For Al-Hilal, this result is a landmark moment for Saudi Arabian club football, demonstrating the impact of the significant investments made by the Public Investment Fund into the league`s top clubs. While anticipated high-profile signings were not finalized for this tournament, Al-Hilal did appoint manager Simone Inzaghi weeks before the competition. Inzaghi`s victory here provides a notable win against Guardiola, two years after his Inter Milan side lost to City in the UEFA Champions League final.
Al-Hilal is now set to face Fluminense in the next round on Friday in Orlando. Fluminense also secured their place by defeating Inter 2-0 earlier on Monday.
