Soccer

Al Hilal hold off Pachuca to set up City showdown

FIFA

27, Jun 25

Al Hilal hold off Pachuca to set up City showdown

Al Hilal 2-0 CF Pachuca | Group H

Goals: Salem Aldawsari (22), Marcos Leonardo (90+5)

Al Hilal produced the result they needed against CF Pachuca at GEODIS Park in Nashville to qualify for the last 16 at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™.

With the win, the Saudi Arabian side finished second in Group H with five points and will meet Group G winners Manchester City in Orlando on 30 June. Group H winners Real Madrid C.F., who defeated FC Salzburg, will meet Group G runners-up Juventus FC in Miami on 1 July.

With both Real Madrid and Salzburg two points ahead going into the group finales, Al Hilal knew that only victory against Pachuca would do. They produced the best chances early on, with Malcom in the middle of both. First, the Brazilian winger came close to getting a toe on Salem Aldawsari's far-post cross. He then blasted a shot over the crossbar after Marcos Leonardo's layoff in the box.

Al Hilal finally achieved the breakthrough in the 22nd minute. Aldawsari displayed extraordinary control on namesake Nasser Aldawsari's chip over the top, bringing the ball down with a deft touch from his right boot. He then beat goalkeeper Sebastian Jurado with a looping flick to make it 1-0 Al Hilal.

Already eliminated from the knockout round, Pachuca were left to play spoiler. Their best chance of the first-half came in the 42nd minute when Agustin Palavecino’s shot from distance forced a difficult save by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who nearly gave up a rebound to the lurking Salomon Rondon.

While Real Madrid led Salzburg comfortably in Philadelphia, Al Hilal still had to see their victory through during a nervy second half.

In the 55th minute, goalkeeper Yassine Bounou stopped Rondon's shot from inside the area, and in the 81st minute, Elias Montiel's volleyed attempt in the area fell to the Al Hilal keeper. Two minutes later, Illian Hernandez's free header sailed just wide of Bounou's right post.

However, five minutes into stoppage time, Leonardo clinched all three points for Al Hilal. He rounded Jurado and slotted the ball home to book his team's place in the Round of 16 against Pep Guardiola's City.

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Quotes

"[Against Manchester City], we just have to play as a team. Like we did against Real Madrid, like we did the last game and today. So we need to do the same. We are playing against, for me, one of the top three teams in the world. I know them very well. They changed a lot of players, but I know them very well, the coach [and] some friends that I have there from Portugal as well. I played against them a few times when I was in England, and it was not easy. But we'll do our best, of course. We will prepare the game like we did on these three games, and let's see what happens."
Ruben Neves, Al Hilal midfielder