FLUMINENSE THROUGH TO FINAL FOUR AFTER AL HILAL THRILLER
Fluminense became the first team to advance to the semi-finals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with a nail-biting 2-1 triumph over Al Hilal in a gripping contest that both sides had chances to win, before super sub Hercules scored to seal victory for the South Americans.
Hercules netted from the bench against Inter Milan in the last 16 and after Renato Gaucho made the bold decision to introduce him for goalscorer Martinelli at half-time today, the gamble paid off when Hercules finished off a move he started and rifled a shot past Yassine Bounou with 20 minutes to go.
Martinelli opened the scoring after 40 minutes with a cracking shot into the top corner after Joao Cancelo had mistakenly kept the ball in play to prevent a corner, igniting a game that had started sluggishly.
However, Al Hilal exploded out of the blocks in the second half and the set-piece combination of Ruben Neves and Kalidou Koulibaly, which was dangerous all night, finally bore fruit when the centre-back got a free header that Marcos Leonardo pounced on to turn past a stranded Fabio and draw level with Angel di Maria at the top of the tournament scoring charts.
Al Hilal may feel unlucky not to have had the chance to add to their tally from 12 yards after a penalty awarded for a foul on Leonardo was overturned by VAR in first-half stoppage time, which was followed by another video check on a more borderline challenge on Koulibaly was over very quickly in the dying seconds.
But they also did not display the same ruthlessness as their opponents in Orlando, meaning Fluminense will face Chelsea or Palmeiras on Wednesday with a place in the final on the line.
