Al Hilal's feat shook the world

Man City fell to Al Hilal After Inter lost to Fluminense, it was Man City's turn to lose 3-4 to Al Hilal in the round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ on the morning of July 1.

Before the tournament in the United States kicked off, the expanded 32-team version of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup was met with much skepticism. Al Hilal, along with other Asian representatives such as Al Ain, Ulsan HD and Urawa Red Diamonds, were underestimated.

In fact, Al Ain, Ulsan HD and Urawa Red Diamonds were all considered “underdogs” after being eliminated early with poor results. However, Al Hilal proved that they are on another level. After drawing 1-1 with Real Madrid in the group stage, the Saudi Arabian representative had a historic victory over Manchester City.

Reverse all predictions

Manchester City enter the round of 16 in impressive, if not devastating, form. They won all their group games, scoring 13 goals and conceding just twice. Al Hilal, meanwhile, arrive in the tournament on the back of a disappointing season, having just sacked manager Jorge Jesus and with several key players injured.

However, Al Hilal shocked the world when they defeated Manchester City 4-3 after more than 120 minutes of play. The match started with the advantage in favor of Manchester City when Bernardo Silva opened the scoring in the 9th minute from a messy situation.

The English team dominated the match in the first half. But in the second half, Al Hilal suddenly made a spectacular comeback with two consecutive goals: Marcos Leonardo equalized 1-1 in the 48th minute from a pass from João Cancelo, and Malcom increased the score to 2-1 in the 51st minute with a cool sprint and finish.

Coach Simone Inzaghi, who recently joined the club from Inter Milan, continued to prove his position as one of the best strategists in the world today. Al Hilal used long passes and passes that sliced through Manchester City's defense in the second half, causing damage to their opponents.

In extra time, Al Hilal's two headers from high balls were no coincidence. It showed that coach Simone Inzaghi studied his opponents very carefully. The Italian strategist knew where Man City's weaknesses were, and took full advantage of them.

It should be remembered that despite being considered the richest football team in Asia, Al Hilal still cannot compare to Manchester City in terms of strength or potential. In this match, Al Hilal also lacked three main pillars: Salem Al-Dawsari, Hassan Al Tambakti and Aleksandar Mitrović.

Al Hilal has written a new page in Asian football history.

However, the Asian representative proved their strength with a resilient defense and sharp counterattacks, thanks to the brilliance of Marcos Leonardo, Koulibaly, goalkeeper Bono, and excellent tactics of coach Simone Inzaghi.

Continue the dream

This victory puts Al Hilal in the quarter-finals to face Fluminense, a Brazilian team that also shocked Inter Milan by defeating them 2-0. If they continue to maintain their form, along with the return of key players, Al Hilal have the opportunity to go far, even dream of winning the tournament - something that has never happened before for an Asian team.

ESPN emphasized: “This victory is a turning point for Saudi Arabian football, confirming that they can compete with any team”. That is not an exaggeration. If Al Hilal can compete with Real Madrid or Manchester City, why can't they think about winning the championship when the remaining potential opponents are Bayern Munich, Juventus or PSG?

This achievement is not only a source of pride for Saudi Arabia but also a milestone for Asian football, affirming that they can challenge any giant, if properly invested and have reasonable tactics.

As Al Hilal prepare to face Fluminense in the quarter-finals, the world is waiting to see if they can continue their magical story, taking Asian football to new heights.

Source: https://znews.vn/chien-tich-cua-al-hilal-lam-rung-chuyen-the-gioi-post1565100.html