Club World Cup: Fluminense Defeats Al-Hilal 2-1 and Advances to Semifinals
Fluminense continues to make history on the world stage. This Friday (4), the Tricolor das Laranjeiras secured a 2-1 victory over Al-Hilal at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, advancing to the semifinals of the Club World Cup.
Martinelli and Hércules were the heroes for the Rio club, scoring the decisive goals. Marcos Leonardo scored for the Saudi side, who fought hard but fell short.
With the win, Fluminense moves just one step away from the tournament final. The semifinal will take place next Tuesday (8), at 4 p.m. (Brasília time), at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. They will face the winner of Palmeiras vs Chelsea, who meet later this Friday.
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How the Match Unfolded
The first half was marked by few clear opportunities until Fluminense broke the deadlock in the 39th minute. A defensive error by João Cancelo allowed Fuentes to recover the ball and set up Martinelli, who calmly slotted the ball past Bono to open the scoring.
Before halftime, Al-Hilal came close to leveling the score when Koulibaly forced a spectacular save from Fábio. Moments later, a penalty was initially awarded to Al-Hilal for a foul on Marcos Leonardo, but after a VAR review, the referee overturned the decision.
Al-Hilal began the second half on the front foot, quickly equalizing in the 5th minute. After a corner, Koulibaly’s header found Marcos Leonardo unmarked, who finished from close range to make it 1-1.
Fluminense almost responded immediately when Germán Cano missed a clear chance alone against Bono, while Milinkovic-Savic nearly turned the game around with a dangerous shot saved by Fábio.
In the 24th minute, Hércules stepped up once again. The midfielder, already a hero in the round of 16 against Inter Milan, surged into the box and struck a powerful cross-shot to restore Flu’s lead.
In the final minutes, Fluminense resisted Al-Hilal’s pressure, with Arias threatening Bono’s goal while the Saudi side piled on crosses and corners in search of an equalizer. However, the defense held firm until the final whistle, guaranteeing Fluminense a place in the semifinal.
