By Seyi Babalola
Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia eliminated English heavyweights Manchester City from the Club World Cup on Monday, winning 4-3 in extra time in the tournament’s greatest upset to date.
The game ended 2-2 at full time, but Marcos Leonardo scored the winning goal in extra time, securing one of the biggest victories in Middle Eastern football.
The Saudi club advances to the quarterfinals, where they will meet Brazilian club Fluminense, guaranteeing that a non-European team makes the last four.
Bernardo Silva finished off Rayan Ait-Nouri’s cross in the ninth minute, giving City the lead in a controversial way.
City had plenty of opportunities to extend their lead before the break, but a combination of poor finishing and inspired goalkeeping from Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou kept the lead at a single goal.
Al Hilal offered several reminders of their threat on the break while City got even more chances with Jeremy Doku volleying straight at Bounou, who moments later reacted superbly again to keep out a Bernardo effort.
The question as to whether City would live to regret not converting those chances was answered within a minute of the resumption.
Former City full-back Joao Cancelo’s low cross was parried out by Ederson, Malcolm pounced but saw his shot blocked by Ruben Dias only for the ball to loop to Marcos Leonardo to head home the equaliser.
Six minutes later and the City’s high defensive line was exposed by a long ball from Cancelo, which Brazilian Malcolm raced on t,o and he showed power and pace as he broke away before coolly slotting past Ederson.
The Saudi fans in the crowd went wild while Pep Guardiola responded immediately with a triple substitution, with midfielder Rodri and defenders Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji introduced.
That brought some much-needed stability to a shaky back line but City needed improvement at the other end too and it came, albeit in it scruffy circumstances.
The Al Hilal defence were unable to deal with a Bernardo corner, and Erling Haaland pounced to steer home the loose ball and make it 2-2.
City piled on the pressure as they looked for the winner, but yet again Bounou proved their nemesis as he denied Akanji and Ruben Dias, and even when he was beaten by Haaland, substitute Ali Lajami produced a magnificent goal-line clearance.
Guardiola took off Haaland and introduced Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush as the game went into extra time.
But for all City’s depth, Al Hilal had a deep well of spirit to draw upon and just four minutes into the opening period, Al Hilal regained the lead when Kalidou Koulibaly rose superbly to meet a Ruben Neves corner with a brilliantly angled header.
City responded with a goal of real quality when Rayan Cherki’s brilliantly floated ball towards the back post was poked home masterfully by Phil Foden, at full stretch and from the tightest of angles.
Al Hilal responded again to restore their lead; Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s header was saved by Ederson, but Marcos Leonardo followed in to bundle the ball over the line.
