Al-Hilal 'climb Everest' - but 'worrying signs' for Man City

Saudi Arabia person spent billions to effort go a unit successful satellite football. On Monday nighttime successful Florida, celebrating supporters felt arsenic if a tiny chunk of that had been repaid.

Pro League broadside Al-Hilal made their people by stunning serial Premier League winners Manchester City 4-3 successful an epic Club World Cup encounter.

Monday nights are much synonymous with unrecorded wrestling shows connected tv successful the USA - but it was shot that provided the large sporting amusement connected the container this clip arsenic Marcos Leonardo's victor sent City packing.

As erstwhile England winger Andros Townsend enactment it connected Dazn: "Al-Hilal person shocked the world."

For the Brazilian striker whose extremity won the match, it was an affectional evening. Afterwards, helium paid tribute to his mother, who is recovering aft much than 2 months successful infirmary with a superior illness.

He said: "I person had a hard clip successful the past 2 months. My parent spent 70 days successful the ICU [intensive attraction unit].

"Today she is fine, convey God. When I scored those 2 goals, I thought of her. She was capable to ticker the game."

Al-Hilal caput manager Simone Inzaghi felt arsenic if helium was backmost connected apical of the world.

A period ago, Inzaghi near Inter Milan, 3 days aft seeing his squad thrashed 5-0 by Paris St-Germain successful the Champions League final.

Having hardly settled into to his caller role, helium present has a immense triumph to celebrate.

"The cardinal of this effect are the players, the bosom they enactment connected the pitch," helium said.

"Tonight we had to bash thing bonzer due to the fact that we knew however bully Manchester City are. We knew we had to ascent Mount Everest without oxygen and we were great.

"We played with a beardown determination and we are truly feeling the game. They deserved it. They fought for each shot and it gives restitution to the household of Al-Hilal, Saudi Arabia and the fans present with us."

The revamped Club World Cup has not received cosmopolitan acclaim but an unforgettable last-16 necktie volition beryllium talked astir successful each corners of the globe.

Al-Hilal clung connected successful the archetypal fractional and were fortunate to lone beryllium 1-0 down acknowledgment to goalkeeper Bono's heroics but they recovered to spell up successful the 2nd period.

They were doubly pegged backmost but Marcos Leonardo delivered the decisive stroke and erstwhile the last whistle was blown, unit and substitutes poured connected to the transportation to bask the infinitesimal with their players.

The joyous Al-Hilal fans, a ample clump of whom were straight down the dugout, waved the bluish flags of the nine and the greenish and achromatic of the country.

Exiting the Camping World Stadium, travelling supporters packed retired the concourses, dancing and singing "ole, ole ole ole", portion Saudi journalists hugged and kissed each different successful the post-match quality league room.

One walked successful with wide eyes and arms raised, screaming "Mabrook" successful Arabic, translating arsenic "congratulations", astir successful disbelief arsenic to what helium had witnessed.

A writer from the media outlet Arryadia called the effect "one of the biggest successful the past of Saudi football" - but added that the country's daze 2-1 triumph implicit Argentina astatine the 2022 World Cup volition "always beryllium top".

A batch of wealth has been spent to effort to turn the Saudi game's illustration - much than £700m has gone connected bringing players to the Pro League, portion Portugal large Cristiano Ronaldo's accomplishment astatine Al-Nassr 2 and a fractional years agone was a important signing.

Saudi Arabia volition besides big the 2034 World Cup - a determination that has been defended by Fifa president Gianni Infantino amid important criticism - with the quality rights run radical Amnesty International describing it arsenic "reckless".

Infantino - the antheral down the caller 32-team Club World Cup format - has argued that staging the World Cup successful the Gulf kingdom tin beryllium a catalyst for societal improvements.

Saudi Arabia has faced years of scrutiny implicit its quality rights and biology record. Its World Cup bid was backed by the Football Association successful December aft it received assurances that each fans would beryllium welcome.

The Saudi bid for the World Cup was unopposed, arsenic Australia - the lone different imaginable campaigner - decided not to participate the running, hinting it was futile to bash truthful aft being fixed little than a period by Fifa to equine a challenge.

Fifa stood by a fast-tracked process that critics argued lacked transparency. They suggested it efficaciously paved the mode for the Saudis acknowledgment to a determination that lone bids from Asia and Oceania would beryllium considered.

Serbia midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who joined Al-Hilal from Lazio successful 2023, was asked astir the disapproval players person received successful leaving Europe for the riches of the Middle East.

"Let's spot present if they volition criticise us," helium said. "We showed them it's not similar they are speaking astir the league.

"We amusement against Real Madrid, Salzburg, Pachuca and tonight. I anticipation we volition proceed to amusement it."

Former Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who scored successful other time, added: "We knew it would beryllium hard against 1 of the champion successful the world.

"We wanted to amusement our talents. We are truthful blessed due to the fact that we wanted to amusement Al-Hilal had the endowment to beryllium here."

The radical signifier had been plain sailing for City, winning each 3 games, but they fell astatine the archetypal knockout hurdle pursuing a haphazard antiaircraft display.

Pep Guardiola's broadside were often opened up connected the counter-attack and were made to wage heavy for their sloppiness astatine some ends of the transportation - failing to instrumentality a big of first-half chances.

"It wasn't a fluke but truly worrying signs for Guardiola," erstwhile City goalkeeper Shay Given said connected Dazn. "They could person scored adjacent more. It is simply a existent interest the chances they gave up."

For Guardiola, the task present is to benignant retired those issues earlier the Premier League opener astatine Wolves connected 16 August.

He said: "It was a hard game. We allowed them to marque transitions but we created a lot. It is simply a pity - we person been connected unthinkable travel unneurotic and truthful bully place. The vibe was truly good.

"We would person loved to person continued. We had a feeling that the squad is doing good but we spell location and present it is clip to remainder and remainder our minds for the caller season."