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Day 17 of the Club World Cup brought a true footballing upheaval: Europe is no longer the center of the global game. Fluminense and Al Hilal advanced to the quarterfinals after eliminating Chivu’s Inter and Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Cano and Hercules down a poor Inter side; Lautaro furious after the game
At Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, Fluminense stunned Inter 2-0, scoring early and late. Germán Cano capitalized on a defensive mishap in the third minute, slotting through Sommer’s legs after a deflected cross. From there, Chivu’s team never found rhythm or ideas. The Brazilian side, led by a commanding Thiago Silva, held firm and nearly doubled their lead before the break.
Inter showed brief flashes, notably with Dimarco testing keeper Fabio early and nearly curling in a free kick. But possession was sterile and attacking moves lacked pace. Fluminense, by contrast, were composed, sharp, and impressively fit. Only in the closing stages did Inter threaten: Lautaro was denied by Fabio and then hit the post, while Dimarco rattled the crossbar with a thunderous strike. But in stoppage time, Hercules sealed the win with a rocket from outside the box that once again beat Sommer.
Post-match, Lautaro Martínez didn’t hold back: “If you want to stay, stay. If not, the door is open. This badge means something—hunger is required. I saw things I didn’t like.”
Coach Cristian Chivu took a more diplomatic tone: “We were arrogant, trying to pull off plays that weren’t there. Lautaro went in hard, but he’s right—staying competitive requires unity.”
Club president Beppe Marotta claimed Lautaro was referring to Calhanoglu, who’s pushing for a move away: “He meant Calhanoglu. But we’re not blaming him—anyone who wants to leave can do so. Right now, though, there’s no deal in place.”
That explanation hasn’t fully convinced, especially since Lautaro seemed to be calling out players on the field that day, and Calhanoglu was sidelined with an injury. Marotta may have tried to redirect attention while also nudging the Turkish midfielder, who has been angling for a move to Galatasaray but hasn’t brought a proper offer to the table.
Match Summary
Inter – Fluminense 0-2
Goals: 3’ Cano (F), 90+3’ Hercules (F)
Bookings: Asllani (9’), Cano (16’), Freytes (26’), René (36’), Bastoni (38’), Renato (45+4’), Thiago Santos (85’)
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Darmian, De Vrij, Bastoni (71’ Carlos Augusto); Dumfries (52’ Luis Henrique), Barella, Asllani (52’ Sucic), Mkhitaryan (52’ Carboni), Dimarco; Thuram (65’ Esposito), Lautaro. Coach: Chivu
Fluminense (3-5-2): Fabio; Thiago Silva, Ignacio, Freytes; Xavier, René, Martinelli (60’ Hercules), Nonato (60’ Lima), Bernal (80’ Thiago Santos); Arias, Cano (63’ Everaldo). Coach: Renato
Manchester City 3-4 Al Hilal (AET): Epic Battle in Orlando—Inzaghi Sends Guardiola Home
Another stunning upset at the Club World Cup. In Orlando, Al Hilal shocked Manchester City with a 4-3 win after extra time, reaching the quarterfinals in historic fashion. In a wild game full of twists and lead changes, Simone Inzaghi’s side displayed courage, composure, and grit.
City struck first in the 9th minute with Bernardo Silva finishing off a loose ball in the box. The English champions dominated the half but couldn’t find a second goal—thanks in large part to Bounou, who was spectacular between the posts.
Inzaghi must have found the right words at halftime, because Al Hilal came out a different team. In the 46th, Marcos Leonardo headed in the equalizer from a Milinkovic-Savic cross. Just six minutes later, Malcom completed a devastating counterattack to put the Saudis ahead.
City responded quickly. Haaland made it 2-2 in the 55th minute after a scramble on a corner. But Bounou kept the Premier League side at bay, denying Doku, Silva, and Haaland again, and producing a miraculous save on Akanji. Dias came close from long range at the death, but the match headed to extra time.
In the 94th, Koulibaly soared over everyone to nod in a corner for 3-2. City equalized yet again through Foden in the 104th, but Al Hilal wouldn’t be denied. In the 112th, after Ederson saved one more Milinkovic-Savic effort, Marcos Leonardo pounced to make it 4-3, completing his heroic brace.
A visibly disappointed Pep Guardiola said after the match: “It’s a shame. We had so many chances but lacked a killer instinct. Bounou was incredible. Now we rest and regroup.”
Bernardo Silva added: “We wanted to go all the way. We’re disappointed, but we’re growing. The locker room is positive—we’ll bounce back.”
Match Summary
Manchester City – Al Hilal 3-4 (AET)
Goals: 9’ Bernardo Silva (M), 46’ Marcos Leonardo (A), 52’ Malcom (A), 55’ Haaland (M), 94’ Koulibaly (A), 104’ Foden (M), 112’ Marcos Leonardo (A)
Bookings: Gvardiol, Matheus Nunes, Akanji (M); Marcos Leonardo (A)
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Matheus Nunes (53’ Akanji), Ruben Dias, Gvardiol (53’ Aké), Ait-Nouri; Bernardo Silva, Reijnders (91’ Cherki), Gundogan (53’ Rodri, 100’ Foden); Savinho, Haaland (91’ Marmoush), Doku. Coach: Guardiola
Al Hilal (3-5-2): Bounou; Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, Renan Lodi; Joao Cancelo (88’ Al Yami), Milinkovic-Savic, Kanno (83’ Lajami), Al Dawsari (106’ Al Juwayr), Al Harbi (88’ Al Bulayhi); Malcom (64’ Kaio Cesar), Marcos Leonardo (116’ Al Ghannam). Coach: Inzaghi
Referee: Jesus Valenzuela Saez (Venezuela)
