Club World Cup: Al-Hilal shocks Manchester City with 4-3 win

(dpa/sda) Pep Guardiola briefly congratulated his overjoyed fellow coach Simone Inzaghi on the sensational victory, before the Spanish star coach of Manchester City fled to the stadium's catacombs. "It's a real shame, we were so well-positioned," said a disappointed Guardiola, who later described it as a "difficult game." The utter underdog Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia caused a real sensation in the round of 16 at the Club World Cup in the USA in a thrilling football thriller.

The team from the capital Riyadh surprisingly defeated Guardiola's star-studded team, including striker Erling Haaland, 4-3 (2-2, 0-1) after extra time in Orlando. "I feel like the team is playing well, but we're going home, and now it's time to rest, recharge, and come back next season," Guardiola said.

Al-Hilal's outstanding striker Marcos Leonardo became the match-winner with his second goal in the 112th minute. Substitute Phil Foden (104th minute) had previously equalized Al-Hilal's initial lead in extra time through Kalidou Koulibaly (94th minute). The Camping World Stadium was buzzing, and the crowd was enthusiastic.

"We wanted to show our skills against one of the best teams in the world," said the 34-year-old Coulibaly, who, like many Hilal players, previously played in Europe, including in England for Chelsea FC: "We wanted to show that Al-Hilal has a lot of talent and that we deserve to be here at the Club World Cup."

In regular time, Bernardo Silva (9') and Haaland (55') scored for Manchester City, who had clearly dominated the first half. However, Marcos Leonardo (46') and Malcom (52') turned the game around in just seven minutes after the break. Goalkeeper Bono had previously kept Hilal in the game. The Moroccan made some excellent saves, including one against former German national team captain Ilkay Gündogan (29').

Al-Hilal's victory is also the work of new coach Simone Inzaghi, who moved to Saudi Arabia after Inter Milan's 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final at the end of May. The 49-year-old Italian will now face Fluminense, rather than his former club, in the next round. An outsider is therefore certain to make the semifinals.

Just hours before Al-Hilal's surprise victory, Fluminense had beaten Inter Milan 2-0 in the round of 16. The Brazilians from Rio de Janeiro deserved the win because they were the better team for well over an hour and created the more clear-cut chances. Yann Sommer had already been beaten in the third minute. Argentinian striker German Cano took advantage of disarray in the Inter defense and a hesitation from Sommer to head home a goal from close range.

The Italians then struggled to create scoring opportunities against the experienced Brazilian defense, led by 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio and 40-year-old captain Thiago Silva. It wasn't until the final quarter of an hour that Inter came close to equalizing, especially when Lautaro Martinez hit the post in the 83rd minute. Instead, they made it 2-0 in stoppage time.