Man City lost miserably to Al Hilal: Referee couldn't save Guardiola

Man City lost 3-4 to Al Hilal despite the referee and VAR helping to open the score, making the FIFA Club World Cup less attractive when Messi also stopped.

Referee and Man City disaster

Another tragic night for Man City , among many such nights since the start of the 2024/25 season. Pep Guardiola's army said goodbye to the 2025 FIFA World Cup after losing to Al Hilal in a breathtaking 120 minutes.

The Saudi Arabian representative, a “new giant” of world football, convincingly defeated the top contender for the championship. Marcos Leonardo’s goal in a blue-covered Orlando stadium will remain in memory forever.

Disaster continues for Man City despite huge investment. Photo: Imago

Another great achievement and yet another humiliating defeat for Man City – a team that neither Rodri’s runs nor hundreds of millions of euros spent in June could revive.

There have been some positive moments in this Man City beach soccer-style side at the tournament – ​​free-flowing and full of improvisation – too, not least thanks to the emergence of Reijnders.

The Dutchman exuded elegance, contributing both offensively and defensively. He and Ait-Nouri – who continued to be excellent – ​​combined on the left flank to create Bernardo Silva’s opener in the 9th minute.

Before Bernardo finished, the ball clearly touched Ait-Nouri's hand, but referee Jesus Valenzuela (Venezuela) and VAR did not see it, or did not want to see it. A big scandal by the video assistant referee team.

Al Hilal then seemed to not understand what was happening, they complained, asking the referee to review VAR. After a few minutes of interruption, Simone Inzaghi's students had to accept the loss in resignation.

Pep Guardiola made many mistakes. Photo: Imago

Immediately, they showed the clear mark of coach Inzaghi, despite his recent arrival: operating three central defenders. The initial formation was 4-2-3-1, but Ruben Neves was like a third central defender, with Joao Cancelo and Renan Lodi on the wings.

Al Hilal chose to play long balls to avoid pressing. However, the best player of the match was still goalkeeper Bono. The hero of Morocco at the 2022 World Cup blocked a series of clear chances from Doku, Savinho, Gundogan and Haaland.

Many times Pep waited to celebrate the second goal, but all were blocked by Bono.

The Al Hilal Miracle

Al Hilal are no ordinary team. With a huge fan base that travels all the way to Orlando, they have proven themselves to be the number one club in Saudi Arabia and Asian football.

After the break, they came back strongly and completely changed the game. Marcos Leonardo scored early in the second half, with the team's first accurate shot of the game.

Withdrawing Haaland weakened Man City's attack. Photo: Imago

Just minutes later, Malcom put Al Hilal 2-1 up in a lightning counter-attack. A pressure cooker weighed heavily on Man City's minds.

Pep Guardiola had a series of changes ready and then had to bring on Rodri – more a tactical necessity than a necessity as he was not yet at full fitness.

Rodri's arrival brought some order, but City were still pushed out of their comfort zone. They managed to equalise through Haaland from a corner, but the game remained at a disadvantage.

The game turned into a mad duel that Pep did not want. Rodri tried to bring calm, Haaland had another chance but his header was cleared off the line by an Al Hilal defender.

Man City held the ball, but every time Al Hilal counter-attacked, Ederson's goal was threatened.

The match went into extra time, where the nightmare continued for Man City. Many of the English players were visibly tired and exhausted due to the hot weather.

Al Hilal are great in terms of playing style and spirit. Photo: Imago

Cherki came on to add some dramatic final passes, while Marmoush replaced Haaland, causing serious problems for the English side.

Guardiola bet wrong, as Koulibaly headed home a wonderful goal. In the chaos, when Rodri left the pitch, the disorganization reached its peak.

A few individual moments put Man City back on the scoreboard: Cherki tried to put the ball into the danger zone, Foden went close to equalizing 3-3 with a tight-angle finish.

That wasn't enough. The tragedy continued: Ederson made a spectacular save from Milinkovic-Savic's header, Leonardo appeared just in time to seal the score at 4-3 for Al Hilal.

Saudi Arabia is an ally of President Gianni Infantino, but Al Hilal's elimination of Man City is a loss for FIFA and the Club World Cup. A day before, Lionel Messi stopped playing, making the tournament's appeal significantly reduced.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/man-city-thua-tham-al-hilal-trong-tai-khong-cuu-duoc-guardiola-2417112.html