Al Hilal Stun Manchester City in Club World Cup Classic

Al Hilal pulled off one of the biggest shocks in recent Club World Cup history, beating Manchester City 4-3 in a thrilling extra-time contest in Orlando on Monday night. Marcos Leonardo was the hero, scoring the decisive goal in the 112th minute to send the Saudi side through to the quarterfinals.

This was a match that had everything—goals, drama, comebacks, and a relentless tempo. Bernardo Silva opened the scoring for City, but Al Hilal never blinked. Even when they were under pressure, they found a way to stay in the fight and eventually win it. Silva’s opener wasn’t without controversy. Replays showed the ball had brushed the arm of Rayan Aït-Nouri in the buildup, but the referee waved play on despite Al Hilal’s protests. From there, it was end-to-end chaos. 

Yassine Bounou, Al Hilal’s keeper, made several sharp stops to keep the score at 1-0 going into the break. And right after halftime, the game exploded. Malcom raced down the right and squared it to João Cancelo, whose blocked cross set up Leonardo to nod in the equalizer. Then it was Malcom’s turn to score—released by a pinpoint Cancelo pass, he coolly slotted past Ederson to make it 2-1. But City weren’t done. Erling Haaland levelled things up just three minutes later, as he toe-poked the ball between Bounou’s legs from his own headed rebound. He came close to a late winner too, only to be denied by a dramatic goal-line clearance from Ali Lajami. 

In extra time, Al Hilal struck first again. Kalidou Koulibaly powered home a header to make it 3-2, only for Phil Foden to respond with a stunning volley after being set up by Rayan Cherki. It looked destined for penalties—until Leonardo popped up again. After Ederson denied Sergej Milinkovic-Savic with a fantastic save, the Brazilian forward reacted fastest, bundling in the rebound for his second of the night. “We knew it was a difficult game against one of the best teams in the world,” Koulibaly said. “We wanted to show our ideas, our talent, our power, and I think we made a very good game. Defensively we were strong, and offensively we took our chances.” 

This win is a statement for new manager Simone Inzaghi, who took charge just weeks ago after leaving Inter Milan. Despite missing key players like Salem Al-Dawsari and Aleksandar Mitrović, Inzaghi’s back-three system held firm, and his side executed brilliantly. Now, a quarterfinal clash against Fluminense awaits the Saudi champions. And after a performance like that, Al Hilal won't be taken lightly again. 

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