In a closely contested match between the last two runners-up of the FIFA Club World Cup, Fluminense triumphed over Al Hilal with a score of 2-1, securing their spot in the semi-finals.
Both sides had caused significant surprises to reach this point and displayed periods of impressive ball movement during the opening quarter, albeit without posing any serious threat to either goal.
Nonito found himself in a promising position after being played in by Jhon Arias but his attempt missed the target, while at the other end, Nasser Al-Dawsari saw his shot thwarted by Ignácio.
As the teams continued to display defensive strength, it came at a price; Renan Lodi and Juan Freytes received yellow cards either side of a cooling break, putting their availability for the semi-finals in jeopardy, depending on the match outcome.
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Fluminense broke the deadlock in the 40th minute, with Matheus Martinelli converting a low pass from Gabriel Fuentes, initially leaving Facundo Bernal fuming. However, his frustration turned to joy as he coolly struck into the top corner, igniting wild celebrations.
The excitement was briefly interrupted for Martinelli, who received a yellow card three minutes later, ruling him out of the next round. However, relief came for the Tricolor before half-time, as Fábio made a spectacular save to deny Kalidou Koulibaly, and a VAR review overturned a penalty decision against Samuel Xavier.
Al Hilal responded after the break, equalising within six minutes. Marcos Leonardo skillfully controlled Koulibaly’s header from a Rúben Neves corner before driving the ball into the net from just outside the six-yard box.
Yassine Bounou then showcased his talent, outsmarting Germán Cano to deny Fluminense a quick comeback after a defensive error by Renan Lodi.
Moteb Al-Harbi sent a wild effort soaring over the crossbar shortly after a corner from Neves was poorly matched, and Al Hilal would soon find themselves trailing again.
In the 70th minute, Hercules had an ambitious attempt blocked, but he capitalised on Xavier’s header to find the net with precision.
A cooling break ensued, but the Tricolor seemed to gather momentum, with Bounou denying Xavier’s fierce shot before the right-back was forced off due to injury.
Despite their absence, Fluminense resolutely handled Al Hilal’s unrelenting crosses, maintaining their impressive unbeaten streak of 11 matches across all competitions as they set up a semi-final clash against either Palmeiras or Chelsea.
In the process, they handed Al Hilal their first defeat in ten matches.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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