Inter Miami and Al Ahly played out an engaging 0-0 stalemate to kick off the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) at Hard Rock Stadium. This result marks the Egyptian side’s third draw in their last 28 matches in the tournament, with a record of 11 wins and 14 losses.
While the Miami crowd may have anticipated a dazzling performance from Lionel Messi, it was Oscar Ustari who emerged as the standout performer in the first half, making a string of incredible saves to thwart the opposition.
Wessam Abou Ali was the first to test Ustari with a promising attempt on goal after just eight minutes, forcing a superb save. The goalkeeper then had to be sharp again, denying Emam Ashour shortly after. Ali was later flagged offside before Ustari pulled off yet another magnificent save, this time from Achraf Dari at close range.
Javier Mascherano’s men appeared vulnerable defensively, struggling to handle the swift counter-attacks posed by the Egyptians.
Just as it seemed the opener was imminent, Zizo went down in the box to earn a penalty. However, Ustari demonstrated his skills once more, deflecting Trezeguet’s spot-kick, and quickly recovering to thwart the rebound.
Despite Al Ahly’s dominance, they nearly fell behind just before half-time, with a remarkable defensive effort from Ali keeping the scoreline level.
Mascherano’s words at the break seemed to rejuvenate his side, as they came out looking more menacing after the interval.
Their first significant chance of the match came when Tadeo Allende found himself in the six-yard box, but he couldn’t find a way past the impressive Mohamed El Shenawy, who did brilliantly to make himself big.
As the match progressed into the final 20 minutes, the intensity waned, and neither team could seize control.
Two late opportunities almost broke the deadlock; first, Messi unleashed a spectacular curling shot that El Shenawy spectacularly tipped onto the crossbar. The ensuing corner created a moment of chaos but ultimately produced no reward.
In a challenging group featuring Porto and Palmeiras, both teams may have hoped for three points to kick off their campaigns, but there are positives to take from this performance.
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Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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