What do you see after Man City's defeat to Al Hilal?

TPO - Man City had to stop at the round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 after a dramatic 3-4 loss to Saudi Arabia's representative Al Hilal at Camping World Stadium, Orlando. This was not only the biggest shock of the tournament, but also a historic victory for Middle Eastern football.

Man City's costly defeat

Despite being considered the top candidate after a 5-2 win over Juventus in the group stage, Man City fell to a lower-rated opponent.

International media pointed out a series of reasons for this failure: a weakened squad due to injuries, unstable performance, predictable playing style and especially a clear lack of motivation in a tournament that is not strong enough in Europe.

The defeat not only cost Man City the chance to compete for the trophy, but also cost them a bonus of 13.7 million USD. Total revenue from the tournament stood at only 51.7 million USD - significantly lower than initial expectations.

Professionally, this is a warning for coach Pep Guardiola and his team on their journey of rebuilding after a difficult season, despite notable changes from the squad to the coaching staff.

Historic win for Al Hilal

For the first time in FIFA Club World Cup history, an Asian club has beaten a European side. Under the guidance of coach Simone Inzaghi, the Saudi Arabian side displayed organised, disciplined and lethal counter-attacking football.

After holding Real Madrid to a draw in the group stage, Al Hilal continued to make the world talk with their brave performance against Man City. Their presence in the quarter-finals, alongside two South American representatives, is helping the tournament regain its appeal and competitiveness that had been doubted in recent times.

Premier League veteran shines

Al Hilal's victory was marked by the presence of stars who had fought in the Premier League. Ruben Neves (former Wolves midfielder) and Kalidou Koulibaly (former Chelsea midfielder) combined to create the important third goal.

Notably, Neves, playing as a right-sided centre-back in Al Hilal's 3-5-2 formation, continuously performed sharp set pieces, causing Man City's goal to waver.

The Silent Hero Bounou

Yassine Bouno, the hero of the Morocco team at the 2022 World Cup, continued to show his class with 11 saves, including a series of direct situations against Haaland and Foden.

Unpretentious but effective, the veteran goalkeeper was the foundation that helped Al Hilal stand firm when they were behind, then make a spectacular comeback.

Malcom's bright face

Once forgotten after an unsuccessful time at Barcelona, ​​Malcom shone brightly against Man City. He was the one who started the equalizer at 1-1 with a skillful and brave dribble down the middle, then scored himself to make it 2-1 just 5 minutes later.

Despite having to leave the field in the 60th minute after a rough tackle from Ruben Dias, Malcom managed to leave a big mark after just one hour of play.

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Trong Dat

Source: https://tienphong.vn/thay-gi-sau-that-bai-cua-man-city-truoc-al-hilal-post1756517.tpo