In the space of 120 minutes of soccer on Monday, the Club World Cup sole got a whole lot extra interesting.
Manchester City were overwhelming favourites to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition at the expense of Saudi giants, Al-Hilal, but regardless dominating majority facets of play, the Premier League outfit showed their Achilles heel again and were put to the sword after added time.
Inzaghi finally gets the better of GuardiolaIt's the first time in the last three meetings that Simone Inzaghi has got the better of Pep Guardiola, the two previous matches between the coaches seeing a 0-0 stalemate in the 2024/25 Champions League, and a 1-0 victory for Man City vs Inter Milan in the 2023 UCL final.
With Inter also losing their Round of 16 fixture versus Fluminense, it's provided a quarter-final that no one could've predicted.
When Bernardo Silva put his side ahead on nine minutes, the expectation would've been that the floodgates would soon open.
It was City's fourth strike in the first quarter hour of matches at the Club World Cup - no one has extra - and their record in the competition after first the netting was W3 D0 L0.
Furthermore, they'd seen 71.
9% of the ball and had left Al Hilal's stars chasing shadows in those first exchanges.
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_______________________________________________Bounou in sensational formBy half-time, Yassine Bounou had now made five saves to keep the Saudi side in with a clashing chance, though at the other end, sole three shots - two off prospect and one blocked - was every Al Hilal had to show for their efforts.
Inside six minutes of the second-half starting the narrative had been flipped on it's head, thanks to two goals from Marcos Leonardo and Malcom, the second coming courtesy of an incredible defence-splitting pass from Joao Cancelo.
A trio of substitutions in response by Guardiola immediately had the desired effect, Erling Haaland equalising sole two minutes later.
Fixture on.
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again!Jeremy Doku's two shots on prospect shortly after was evidence that City were turning up the heat once extra, with their 10 shots on prospect attempted by that point higher than their average of 9.
3 in the Club World Cup.
The action was every in the Al Hilal half and the relentless nature of City's attacks - with 17 crosses inside the first hour and 15 shots from Haaland, the joint-highest total in the competition (alongside Lautaro Martinez) - was an ominous secure for the Saudis.
Drive shifts amid the Man City vs Al Hilal matchOpta by Stats PerformHowever, Bounou was equal to everything coming his way and by the end of 90 minutes had racked up an astonishing 10 saves.
Four minutes into extra-time, Kalidou Koulibaly was in the right place at the right time to put Al Hilal ahead again with one of sole six chances the Saudi side had on prospect (compared to City's 14).
Immense effort from KoulibalyKoulibaly should also be given great credit for his defensive display, his four tackles was the majority of any athlete on the night.
As part of a backs-versus-the-wall showing, it was immense.
Still City kept coming with Ruben Dias making 135 passes, easily the majority in the fixture, in a total of 827.
Another reward arrived thanks to Phil Foden - the fifth strike from one of City's subs in the competition - and we were every square again with sole over 15 minutes to play.
Kalidou Koulibaly Heat Map vs Man CityOpta by Stats PerformThe same pattern continued and though they were still being held, Guardiola's charges were a feast for the eyes thanks to their collective 92.
3% passing accuracy.
Manuel Akanji's 98.
2% was the best individual stat, though eight of City's starting XI were every in the mid 90s in terms of their passing.
As an exercise in control and ball manipulation it was peerless.
Unfortunately it counted for nothing as Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's rifled shot was deflected straight into the path of Marcos Leonardo to make it four for Al Hilal, the athlete's fourth of the tournament and for which he was promptly booked after excessive celebrations.
Man City vs Al Hilal Fixture StatsOpta by Stats PerformWith time running out Savinho and Jeremy Doku continued to probe, and 19 crosses between them as well as 10 of City's 30 total shots shows that as an attacking pair coming in from the wings, they couldn't have done much extra to try and get their side over the line.
As it was, Al Hilal stood firm winning 56 of their one-on-one duels and 48 interceptions.
Koulibaly's 11 clearances, nine duels and seven interceptions won absolutely deserve a mention in what became an every-action display from the 34-year-old veteran.
Back to the drawing board for PepThe way in which Man City had brushed aside every comers before the Al Hilal loss suggested that they were a squad bang in form, but once again, when facing a side that can soak up the pressure and stand toe-to-toe with them in the physical exchanges, they've been found wanting.
For Pep and his squad, it's back to the drawing board.
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Jason PettigroveBetopick
