Sports
Al-Hilal defeats Man City in seven-goal Club World Cup thriller
Defending champions Manchester City crashed out of the Club World Cup in shocking fashion after a pulsating seven-goal thriller against Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.
Pep Guardiola’s men, who had breezed through the group stages, fell apart in extra time as defensive errors cost them dearly.
As has become routine, City began brightly with Bernardo Silva opening the scoring inside 10 minutes after a chaotic build-up. However, Al-Hilal were incensed as Rayan Ait-Nouri appeared to handle the ball moments earlier.
Despite chances to extend their lead, City met stiff resistance from Al-Hilal’s goalkeeper Bono, who produced brilliant saves to deny Savinho, Ilkay Gundogan and Josko Gvardiol.
Al-Hilal found their rhythm early in the second half, with Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo heading home the equaliser just 44 seconds after the restart. Former Barcelona winger Malcom then stunned City by putting Al-Hilal in front five minutes later, though Erling Haaland quickly levelled from a corner.
Manuel Akanji rattled the post late on, while Haaland’s follow-up was miraculously cleared off the line by Ali Lajami, forcing the match into extra time.
Kalidou Koulibaly’s powerful header in the 94th minute restored Al-Hilal’s advantage, but substitute Phil Foden equalised with a smart volley from a tight angle. In a dramatic climax, Leonardo struck again eight minutes from time, sealing a famous victory for the Saudi side and dumping the English champions out of the tournament.
It’s a result that marks one of the biggest upsets in Club World Cup history, as Manchester City’s title defence ended in heartbreak.
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