Pep Guardiola briefly congratulated his overjoyed coaching colleague Simone Inzaghi on the sensation victory, then the Spanish coach from Manchester City fled into the stadium catacombs. “It’s really a shame, we were so well positioned,” said the disappointed Guardiola, who spoke of a “difficult game”, later. The blatant outsider Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia caused a real sensation in the round of 16 at the Club World Cup in the USA in a gripping football thriller.
The team from the capital Riad defeated Guardiola’s ensemble around goal scorer Erling Haaland in Orlando surprisingly with 4: 3 (2: 2, 0: 1) after extra time. “I have the feeling that the team is playing well, but we’re going home, and now it’s time to rest, recharge your batteries and come back next season,” said Guardiola and found: “We allowed them to create switching moments, but we have created a lot ourselves and were good overall.”
:Max Eberl against the Piesacker
At the club World Cup, the Munich sports director reports from the secret surgery to recruit Nick Woltemade from VfB Stuttgart. It becomes clear how close the criticism of his transfer policy is.
But Al-Hilals outstanding attacker Marcos Leonardo became a match winner with his second goal in the 112nd minute of the game. Previously, substitute Phil Foden (104th) was able to equalize the first lead of Al-Hilal in the extension by Kalidou Koulibaly (94.). The Camping World Stadium was bubbling, the spectators were enthusiastic. “We wanted to show our skills against one of the best teams in the world,” said the 34-year-old Coulibaly, who, like many Hilal professionals used to play in Europe, in England for FC Chelsea: “We wanted to show that Al-Hilal has a lot of talent and we are right here at the club World Cup.” It was a big day for Saudi football. Al-Hilal now meets in the quarterfinals on Fluminensee from Brazil. Inzaghi has only been a coach of Al-Hilalin of the regular season for a few weeks, Bernardo Silva (9th) and Haaland (55th) met for the mancity, which is clearly dominant in the first half. Marcos Leonardo (46th) and Malcom (52nd), however, turned the game in just seven minutes after the break. Goalkeeper Bono had previously kept Hilal in the game. The Moroccan held splendidly, once against the former DFB captain Ilkay Gündogan (29). Al-Hilal’s victory is also the work of the new coach Simone Inzaghi, which after the 0: 5 with Inter Milan in the Champions League final at the end of May against Paris Saint-Germain to Saudi Arabia. The 49-year-old Italian surprisingly does not meet his ex-club in the next round, but fluminense. So an outsider will surely be in the semi -finals.
For Inter Milan, too, the tournament ended with a bitter disappointment. The Champions League finalist lost 0: 2 (0: 1) in the round of 16. German Cano (3rd minute) and Hercules (90.+3) scored the hits for the Brazilian team from Rio de Janeiro at temperatures of well over 30 degrees in Charlotte.
The inter-players of coach Cristian Chivu seemed tired at the heat in the stadium at the beginning of the game. Already in the 3. minute, the South Americans used an inattentiveness of the Italian defense in front of only 20 030 spectators. The Argentinier Cano headed the ball from the legs 1-0 to the former Bundesliga goalkeeper Yann Sommer. In the 39th minute, the Fluminense players cheered again – but too early. Central defender Ignacio was offside in his supposed header in the arena, which was actually more than 75,000 spectators.
Shortly before the break whistle there was a small tumult on the lawn. Inters Henrikh Mkhitaryan wanted to make a throw-in on the sidelines, but flumin sea coach Renato Gaúcho gave way to the former Dortmund. Mkhitaryan then clashed with Gaúcho and a few fluminense players. Referee Ivan Barton showed Gaúcho the yellow card because of the unsportsmanlike.
In the second half, too, the Brazilians first had more off the game. Inter-goalkeeper Sommer was just able to steer a remarkable shot by Jhon Arias around the post in the 62nd minute. At the end of the game, Inter came dangerously a few times in front of the Fluminense-Tor. Striker Lautaro Martínez (82nd) only hit the post for the Champions League finalists. Hercules made the victory for the Brazilians perfect in added time.
