Just hours after European runner-up Inter Milan lost to Fluminense and returned home early, another earthquake broke out in the United States when the number 1 championship candidate Man City fell to Al-Hilal after 120 minutes of intense competition.
Man City are rated higher than Al-Hilal
Highly rated compared to the emerging representative of Saudi Arabia, Man City quickly showed their superiority with the opening goal in the 9th minute by Bernardo Silva. The entire Al-Hilal team reacted strongly to referee Jesus Saez because they thought Ait-Nouri had handled the ball earlier. However, after consulting VAR, the referee still recognized the goal for Man City.
Bernardo Silva opens the scoring in Al_Hilal's frustration
The match at Camping World Stadium (Orlando, USA) heated up afterwards with the terrible pressure that Man City created on the Al-Hilal field. However, the excellence of goalkeeper Yassine Bounou helped Al-Hilal stand firm against Man City's siege throughout the first half.
Marcos Leonardo excited after equalizing 1-1 for Al-Hilal
Malcom puts the Arab team ahead
After the break, both teams continued to play with dedication and created many scoring opportunities. Al-Hilal surprised everyone when they scored 2 goals in a row thanks to Marcos Leonardo and Malcom within 6 minutes of the second half to take a 2-1 lead. However, Erling Haaland shined to help Man City equalize 2-2 in the 55th minute.
Erling Haaland equalized 2-2, bringing the match into extra time
The match had to go into extra time to decide the winner and Al-Hilal continued to surprise when scoring from a dangerous header by Kalidou Koulibaly in the 94th minute. With nothing left to lose, coach Pep Guardiola sent more attacking players onto the field and one of the substitutes, Phil Foden, scored the equalizer for Man City in the 104th minute.
Phil Foden equalized 3-3 for Man City, but...
Man City have shown signs of fatigue at this point and their loose defense has cost them dearly. In the 112th minute, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic headed close to the goal, goalkeeper Ederson pushed it out but Marcos Leonardo was there at the right time to make the rebound, sealing a 4-3 victory for the Saudi Arabian team.
Leonardo scores the decisive goal, Al-Hilal defeats Man City
Leonardo was runner-up in the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup Golden Boot race
After the match, coach Pep Guardiola admitted that this was "one of the most unacceptable defeats of his career", and criticized the tight schedule that made many key players exhausted. "We played too much, we were too tired. A match like this needs alertness, but we didn't have that in extra time," Pep said in a disappointed statement.
Meanwhile, Al Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi was excited: "This victory is the result of collective spirit and reasonable tactics. We defeated one of the strongest teams in the world with perseverance and constant effort."
Man City lost miserably in America
The victory not only took Al Hilal into the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup but also marked one of the biggest shocks in the history of the tournament. This is also the first time Man City has been eliminated so early in an international tournament since Pep Guardiola took charge.
The defeat gives Pep Guardiola and his players more time to rest after a long season, but the mental consequences cannot be underestimated - especially in the context that they will return to compete in the Premier League and Champions League in August.
Man City's empty-handed season
Meanwhile, Al Hilal continue their journey at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup as potential candidates after eliminating the English giants. Their upcoming quarter-final match is receiving great attention from fans around the world.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/chan-dong-man-city-thua-soc-al-hilal-bi-loai-som-tai-fifa-club-world-cup-2025-196250701114230525.htm
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