Fluminense defeated Al Hilal 2-1 in the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals, securing a spot in the semifinals.
Matheus Martinelli scored the opening goal in the 40th minute with a sublime left-footed finish.
Al Hilal equalised six minutes into the second half when Kalidou Koulibaly headed a Ruben Neves corner down to Marcos Leonardo, who poked the ball home.
However, Fluminense regained the lead in the 70th minute when Hercules, a half-time substitute, scored the winning goal.
Samuel Xavier headed the ball down to Hercules, who coolly fired it into the bottom-left corner.
Despite Al Hilal’s intense pressure in the final minutes, Fluminense held on for the victory.
The win sets up a semifinal match for Fluminense against either Chelsea or Palmeiras.
Al Hilal, despite their loss, made a significant impact in the tournament, beating Manchester City 4-3 in the previous round and remaining unbeaten in the group stage, including a draw against Real Madrid.
AFP
