Al-Hilal 4-3 Manchester City (AET): Marcos Leonardo Ends City’s Club World Cup Reign in a Wild Seven-Goal Classic
Well, well, well. The reigning kings of Europe just got booted out of the Club World Cup and not by another superpower, but by the Saudi side Al-Hilal in a match that felt like a footballing fever dream.
Manchester City, the defending champions and favourites to bulldoze through the competition, were sent packing in the last-16. And the knockout blow? Delivered by a 22-year-old Brazilian striker who played like a man possessed: Marcos Leonardo.
Let’s rewind.
Al-Hilal players were fuming
As usual, City started like a house on fire. For the fourth game in a row, they scored inside the opening 10 minutes. This time, it was captain Bernardo Silva tapping in from close range after a scramble in the box. But hold up, Al-Hilal players were fuming. Rayan Ait-Nouri seemed to have chanelled his inner Maradona with a sneaky handball in the build-up. No VAR intervention. Goal stood. 1-0 City.
Despite dominating the first half, City couldn’t find a second. That’s mainly because Bono, yes, that Bono from Morocco’s 2022 World Cup fairy tale, turned into a brick wall. He denied Savinho, kept out Ilkay Gundogan, and even got airborne to claw away Josko Gvardiol’s bullet header. Unbelievable.
Then came the madness.
44 seconds into the second half, not even enough time for fans to return, Marcos Leonardo popped up to head in the equaliser. Game on. Five minutes later, Malcom (yes, the ex-Barcelona one) got in behind City’s high line, cool as you like, slotted it past Ederson. 2-1. Suddenly, Al-Hilal were dreaming.
Not for long, though.
Erling Haaland did what Haaland does, toe-poked one in from a corner just minutes later. 2-2. Mayhem.
City nearly won it late in normal time. Manuel Akanji’s header hit the post, Haaland tried to clean up the rebound, but Ali Lajami turned into a superhero with a goal line clearance that defied physics.
Extra time? Bring it on.
Kalidou Koulibaly, the former Chelsea man turned Saudi powerhouse, rose like a skyscraper to nod in Al-Hilal’s third. But before anyone could write the headlines, Phil Foden, fresh off the bench, lashed in a volley from an absurd angle. 3-3. Breathless stuff.
But with just 8 minutes left on the clock, the moment of glory arrived. Joao Cancelo, playing against his old mates, whipped in a ball that snuck past everyone. And there was Leonardo, back-post, lurking like a thief in the night, tapping it in to seal a famous 4-3 win.
City tried. Bono said nope. Ten saves. TEN. The man was everywhere. If Morocco fans loved him before, Al-Hilal fans are going to build him a statue by sunrise.
As for City? A chaotic defensive display, missed chances, and a Marcos Leonardo masterclass ended their title defence before the quarter-finals.
What a game. What a night.
Also Read- Fluminense Shock Inter Milan 2-0 In Club World Cup Clash: Brazilian Brilliance On Display
