Al Hilal Pull Off Remarkable Upset Against Manchester City in Thrilling Seven-Goal Clash in Charlotte

The FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) campaign for Manchester City came to a dramatic close in Orlando, where Al Hilal orchestrated an astonishing comeback to triumph 4-3, thereby advancing to the quarter-finals and bringing an end to Pep Guardiola’s perfect record in this tournament.

The pre-match favourites, Man City, kicked off positively – though not without controversy – when, just nine minutes in, Bernardo Silva found the net from close range after Ilkay Gundogan’s clearance was deflected into his path in the six-yard box. A VAR review for handball against Gundogan was swiftly dismissed, but the replay displayed on the big screen incited passionate protests from Al Hilal players, causing a delay in the match’s restart.

In response, Simone Inzaghi’s team sought to channel their frustration into action, yet despite some promising movements, Ederson was untroubled as Al Hilal failed to register a shot on target before half-time.

At the other end, Yassine Bounou was in inspired form, making a series of saves to thwart City’s attempts at securing a second goal. He denied Erling Haaland’s header, while sharp reflexes kept Savinho and Jeremy Doku at bay, preserving a slim deficit for Al Hilal as they went into the half-time break.

Bounou’s efforts became even more significant when, immediately following Inzaghi’s half-time address, Al Hilal executed a stunning turnaround, taking control of the match within just seven minutes of the second half. Initially, Marcos Leonardo chased down an equaliser after City failed to handle a cross from the right, before Malcom surged through from his own half to slot past Ederson and give the Saudi side the lead.

The chaotic atmosphere continued when Malcolm believed he’d won a penalty right after the fourth goal, only to be denied by a contentious offside in the build-up.

As fatigue became evident in the players, the game’s pace decreased, leading to extra time becoming unavoidable after Ali Lajami executed an exceptional goalline clearance to prevent Haaland from clinching a late winner.

While Al Hilal appeared drained by the end of regulation, they began extra time in a stellar manner when Rúben Neves’ precise corner found Kalidou Koulibaly, who expertly headed the ball past a helpless Ederson.

In response, Guardiola brought on Phil Foden, whose impact was felt almost immediately as he netted an incredible first-time finish to level the match at 3-3 from a stunning cross by Rayan Cherki.

As both teams showed signs of exhaustion, Al Hilal dealt the final blow in the 113th minute. Ederson made a phenomenal one-handed save to deny Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, but the ball rebounded directly into the path of Marcos Leonardo, who practically fell into the net while scoring, securing his side’s spot in the quarter-finals to face Fluminense.

See all match statistics here

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