Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal ‘had to climb Mount Everest without oxygen’ in shock Club World Cup win over Manchester City

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"Al-Hilal Upsets Manchester City 4-3 to Reach Club World Cup Quarterfinals"

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal ‘had to climb Mount Everest without oxygen’ in shock Club World Cup win over Manchester City analysis cover image CNN 7.6
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Original Article Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/01/sport/al-hilal-manchester-city-club-world-cup-spt-intl
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Simone Inzaghi has made a remarkable impact as head coach of Al-Hilal, leading the Saudi Arabian team to a stunning 4-3 victory over Manchester City in the Club World Cup. This victory, achieved just weeks into Inzaghi's tenure, has propelled Al-Hilal into the quarterfinals of the tournament. The match was a thrilling encounter, showcasing Al-Hilal's resilience and determination. Brazilian forward Marcos Leonardo emerged as the hero, scoring twice, including the decisive goal in the 112th minute. Inzaghi praised his players for their extraordinary effort, likening their achievement to 'climbing Mount Everest without oxygen' in the face of a formidable opponent like Manchester City. His comments underscored the significance of the victory and the collective heart displayed by the team throughout the match.

The game began with Manchester City taking an early lead through Bernardo Silva, setting the stage for what many anticipated would be a straightforward win for the Premier League side. However, Al-Hilal responded with tenacity, leveling the score thanks to Leonardo's header early in the second half. Following a brief lead from Al-Hilal, City equalized again through Erling Haaland, resulting in a tense standoff that persisted through the end of regulation time. In extra time, Al-Hilal regained the lead with a header from Kalidou Koulibaly, only to see City equalize once more. Ultimately, it was Leonardo who sealed the victory with a well-placed shot after a deflection, marking a historic win for Al-Hilal. This victory not only ended a 20-game winless streak for Asian teams against European clubs in FIFA competitions but also demonstrated Al-Hilal's capability and ambition on the global stage. They now look ahead to their next challenge against Brazilian side Fluminense in the quarterfinals, eager to continue their impressive run in the tournament.

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Source URL: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/01/sport/al-hilal-manchester-city-club-world-cup-spt-intl

Simone Inzaghi has only been head coach ofAl-Hilalfor a matter of weeks, but already he has led the Saudi Arabian side to the quarterfinals of theClub World Cup.

Al-Hilal secured a spot in the last eight of the tournament in sensational fashion with a dramatic 4-3 victory against Manchester City on Monday, scoring twice in extra-time to produce arguably the biggest shock of the Club World Cup so far.

Brazilian forward Marcos Leonardo scored the decisive goal in the 112th minute – his second of the game after Phil Foden had equalized for Man City.

Inzaghi, who only recently oversaw Inter Milan’sChampions League final defeatagainstParis Saint-Germain, showered his players with praise after the match.

“The key to this result was the players, and the heart they put on the pitch tonight,” he said, perReuters. “We had to do something extraordinary because we all know Manchester City, that team.

“We had to climb Mount Everest without oxygen and we made it. All the players were exceptional in everything, in the possession phase, the non-possession phase.”

Bernardo Silva bundled in the first goal of the game at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium inside 10 minutes, setting up what many expected to be a routine victory for the Premier League side.

But Leonardo leveled the match at the start of the second half when he headed in Rúben Dias’ block, before Malcom’s breakaway goal moments later gave Al-Hilal a 2-1 lead.

The advantage was short-lived with Erling Haaland scoring from a corner, and the game remained at 2-2 for the rest of the 90 minutes after Haaland had an attempt cleared off the line by Ali Lajami.

Kalidou Koulibaly’s header put Al-Hilal back into the lead in extra-time, but substitutes Rayan Cherki and Foden combined to send the match to a thrilling conclusion. And that came courtesy of Leonardo’s winner when Sergej Milinković-Savić’s header was saved by Ederson into his path.

Al-Hilal will now face Brazilian side Fluminese in the Club World Cup quarterfinals having ended a 20-game winless run for Asian teams against European opponents in FIFA club competitions.

“We knew that it would be a difficult game against one of the best teams in the world and we wanted to show our ideas, our talents and our power,” said Koulibaly, perFIFA.com.

“We made a very good game; we took our chances so we can be happy. We wanted to show that Al-Hilal have the power and the talent to be here and we showed a great mentality.”

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Source: CNN