Al-Hilal pulled off a major upset in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, defeating Manchester City 4-3 in a thrilling Round of 16 clash. The Saudi Arabian side produced a spirited performance to knock out the defending English champions.
After the match, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic sent a strong message to the team’s critics. The Al-Hilal midfielder didn’t hold back after the famous win. As quoted by ESPN, he said: “Let’s see now if they will criticise us. We showed them it’s not like they are speaking about the league. We show against Real Madrid, Salzburg, Pachuca and tonight. I hope we will continue to show it.”
City started strong and led 1-0 at halftime, thanks to a ninth-minute goal from Bernardo Silva. But Al-Hilal hit back hard after the break. Marcos Leonardo and Malcom scored in quick succession to put Al-Hilal 2-1 ahead. In the 55th minute, Erling Haaland brought City back level with a sharp finish to make it 2-2. The match stayed level through the rest of regulation time, sending the tie into extra time.
In the 94th minute, Kalidou Koulibaly gave Al-Hilal the lead again. But Phil Foden responded in the 104th minute, making it 3-3. Finally, in the 112th minute, Leonardo scored his second goal of the match, and Al-Hilal’s fourth, to seal the dramatic 4-3 victory. Manchester City couldn’t find another response as the Saudi club celebrated a historic win.
Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi Praises Team’s Heart
Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi was full of praise for his team after the result. As quoted in ESPN, he said: “The key of this result are the players, the heart they put on the pitch. Tonight we had to do something extraordinary because we knew how good Manchester City are, we knew we had to climb Mount Everest without oxygen, and we were great. [Pep] Guardiola is the best coach in the world, but tonight we did our best and we deserved the result.”
Al-Hilal will face Brazil’s Fluminense in the quarter-finals on 5 July.
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