Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi likened his side’s shock 4-3 extra-time win over Manchester City in the last 16 of the Club World Cup (CWC) to “climbing Mount Everest without oxygen” after the Saudi side booked an unexpected berth in the quarterfinals.
Inzaghi’s side will face Brazil’s Fluminense in the last eight on Friday after Marcos Leonardo scored a 112th-minute winner for the Riyadh-based club to eliminate Pep Guardiola’s City at the end of a seven-goal thriller in Orlando.
Al-Hilal have been majority-owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund since 2023 and over the past two years have invested heavily in big-name foreign signings including Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Kalidou Koulibaly.
Inzaghi said the key to the result “was the players and the heart they put on the pitch tonight”.
“We had to do something extraordinary because we all know Manchester City, that team.
Marcos Leonardo has just booked Al-Hilal's place in the quarter-finals at the expense of Manchester City! #FIFACWC #CWC2025 #SSFootball pic.twitter.com/6ExnkZkrfA
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) July 1, 2025
“We had to climb Mount Everest without oxygen and we made it. All the players were exceptional in everything, in the possession phase, the non-possession phase.
“We were very well organised in possession and we played well from a technical point of view against a team which is really aggressive and strong in possession.
“Guardiola, I believe, is the best coach in the world, but tonight we did our best and I believe we deserve this result.”
Hilal pulled off one of the shocks of the CWC. Leonardo scored his second of the night in the 113th minute as Inzaghi’s side saw off the Premier League club, who had taken a ninth minute lead through Bernardo Silva.
Quick-fire goals from Leonardo and Malcom in six minutes immediately after the restart put Hilal in front before Erling Haaland equalised for City in the 55th.
This is what dreams are made of for Fluminense 😤🇧🇷#FIFACWC | #CWC2025 | #SSFootball pic.twitter.com/aIk1N4ZYDg
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) June 30, 2025
Four minutes into extra time, Koulibaly headed in Neves’ corner to put the big-spending Riyadh-based club back in front and while Phil Foden levelled again for City, Leonardo netted with seven minutes left to take Hilal through.
Fluminense reached the quarterfinals with a stunning 2—0 win over Inter Milan as German Cano’s early goal and Hercules’ stoppage-time strike toppled the Champions League runners-up in sweltering heat on Monday.
Inter are Inzaghi’s previous club. He steered them to the 2024-25 Uefa Champions League final but left after they were humbled 5-0 there by Paris St-Germain.
Fluminense struck after three minutes when Cano pounced on a deflected cross and headed in from close range, putting the ball through goalkeeper Yann Sommer’s legs for a dream start.
The Italians pushed for an equaliser after the break but were frustrated by a well-organised defence. Stefan de Vrij missed a close-range chance, keeper Fabio denied Sebastiano Esposito with his feet and Lautaro Martinez struck the post.
Substitute Hercules sealed the win for Fluminense three minutes into added time, calmly slotting home from the edge of the box to send the Brazilians through.
Reuters
