Here’s a dramatic recap of the FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 clash between Manchester City and Al‑Hilal on June 30, 2025:
⚽ Final Score
Manchester City 3–4 Al‑Hilal (after extra time) espn.com.au+15africa.espn.com+15nypost.com+15
🔥 Match Summary
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Early lead for City: Bernardo Silva opened the scoring in the 9th minute, giving City an early advantage reuters.com+1first.com+1.
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Al-Hilal’s comeback: After halftime, Marcos Leonardo scored, followed shortly by Malcom, turning the match on its head vavel.com+4reuters.com+4as.com+4.
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City fights back: Erling Haaland restored parity (timing unspecified) talksport.com+15reuters.com+15goal.com+15.
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Extra-time drama:
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Kalidou Koulibaly headed Al‑Hilal ahead from a Rubén Neves corner.
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Phil Foden equalized again for City.
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In the 113th minute, Marcos Leonardo struck once more—his brace proving decisive theguardian.com+15reuters.com+15talksport.com+15.
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📊 Key Stats
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Possession: City 69%, Al‑Hilal 31% africa.espn.com
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Shots on target: City 14, Al‑Hilal 6 cadenaser.com+15africa.espn.com+15goal.com+15
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Total shots: City 30 attempts, Al‑Hilal 17 goal.com+7sportsmole.co.uk+7vavel.com+7
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Saves: Al‑Hilal’s keeper made 10 key saves compared to City’s 2 thesun.co.uk+14africa.espn.com+14fotmob.com+14
🏆 Highlight Performer
Marcos Leonardo (Al‑Hilal) earned Man of the Match honors with his two goals, including the extra-time winner .
🚨 Significance & Reaction
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This result marks one of the biggest upsets in Club World Cup history—Al‑Hilal, managed by Simone Inzaghi, stunned the reigning Premier League champions fotmob.com+6reuters.com+6sportsmole.co.uk+6.
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Pep Guardiola acknowledged the challenge, praising Al‑Hilal as tactically disciplined under Inzaghi cadenaser.com.
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Guardiola had also voiced concerns about the packed tournament schedule and climate conditions in Orlando right before the game theguardian.com+1cadenaser.com+1.
💬 Final Take
Al‑Hilal’s tactical resilience, clinical finishing by Leonardo, and a heroic defensive and goalkeeping performance overcame City’s dominance in possession and shots. Extra-time heroics sealed a remarkable 4–3 triumph, and now Al‑Hilal progress to face Fluminense in the quarterfinals.
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