Al Hilal stun Flamengo to succeed in Club World Cup ultimate

FADEL SENNA/ AFP

Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal surprised 10-man Flamengo to succeed in the Club World Cup ultimate with a 3-2 victory over the South American champions on Tuesday.

Two penalties from Salem Al Dawsari and a close-range strike from Luciano Vietto helped arrange the win.

Al Dawsari opened the scoring from the spot after three minutes and whereas Pedro levelled for the Brazilians, their hopes have been hit when Gerson conceded a penalty and was despatched off in first-half stoppage time.

That allowed Al Dawsari to seize his second and Vietto added a 3rd after the break, making certain Pedro’s late aim for Flamengo was only a comfort.

Al Hilal, the primary Saudi aspect to succeed in the Club World Cup ultimate, will face the winners of Real Madrid’s semi-final towards Al Ahly on Wednesday in Rabat.

On a windy and chilly evening at a half-empty Ibn Batouta stadium, Flamengo’s Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira sprung a shock, leaving former Atletico Madrid fullback Filipe Luis on the bench.

He additionally overlooked Uruguay’s Guillermo Varela, choosing a youthful and extra attack-oriented fullback duo.

It was Varela’s substitute, proper again Matheuzinho, who modified the course of the sport within the third minute, when he went too forcefully right into a problem on Vietto contained in the field and the referee instantly pointed to the spot.

Al-Dawsari slotted it residence, simply out of the attain of goalkeeper Santos.

Flamengo went on the assault and wasted a golden alternative within the fifteenth minute when Gerson, in an awesome place to attain inside the realm, tried to win a penalty as an alternative of taking pictures.

The referee didn’t fall for it and confirmed a yellow card to the Flamengo midfielder for simulation.

But Pedro equalised 4 minutes later, firing residence with a first-time strike from close-range from a Matheuzinho help.

Flamengo, determined to keep away from changing into solely the fourth Brazilian aspect to lose a Club World Cup semi-final, misplaced their cool and have been proven 4 yellow playing cards within the first half.

The fourth, and Gerson’s second, proved decisive because it diminished them to 10 males.

It got here after a VAR examine proper on halftime, because the referee noticed on the pitch-side monitor that the previous Olympique de Marseille midfielder had stamped on Vietto’s ankle contained in the field.

Al-Dawsari didn’t cross up the chance, slotting his spot-kick to left of the keeper, who had guessed the unsuitable method.

With Flamengo diminished to 10 males for the complete second half, Al Hilal managed the tempo and finally scored the third, when Al Dawsari returned the favour to Vietto, placing the ball on a plate for the Argentinian to attain with a point-blank strike.

Pedro’s close-range vary effort in added time was too little to late for Flamengo, who turned solely the sixth Copa Libertadores champions to not advance to the ultimate.