Fluminense knock out Al Hilal, hit Club World Cup Semis

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Fluminense secured a thrilling 2-1 victory over Al Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup quarter-finals on Friday, advancing to the semi-finals to face either Chelsea or Palmeiras.

The Brazilian side’s resilient performance, marked by late-game heroics, underscored their growing prowess in the tournament.

The match, attended by 43,091 fans, saw Fluminense take an early lead in the 40th minute when Gabriel Fuentes set up Matheus Martinelli, who kept his cool to fire into the top right corner, making it 1-0.

Al Hilal responded swiftly after the break, equalizing in the 51st minute through Marcos Leonardo, who capitalized on a corner from Rúben Neves, burying the ball into the net from a Kalidou Koulibaly knock-down to make it 1-1.

The decisive moment came in the 70th minute when Samuel Xavier headed the ball over the defence to Hércules, who fired it into the bottom left corner for a 2-1 lead.

Hércules, a substitute who also scored in the previous round against Inter Milan, proved pivotal again.

Despite Al Hilal’s late pressure, with Rúben Neves delivering multiple corners and earning a yellow card for a hard tackle in the 90th minute, Fluminense’s defence, anchored by veteran Thiago Silva, held firm.

Fabio’s crucial saves, including one against Sergej Milinković-Savić’s fine strike in the 56th minute, ensured the victory.

Fluminense’s tactical discipline, under coach Renato Gaucho, shone through despite challenges, including the suspension of left-back Renê and an injury to Samuel Xavier, who was replaced by Guga in the 83rd minute.