Inzaghi knocks down Guardiola, incredible: Al Hilal eliminates Manchester City from the Club World Cup. "Climbing Everest without oxygen"

"The key to this result was the players, the heart they put on the pitch," said Simone Inzaghi, reported by Sky Sport UK, after Al-Hilal's triumph, which eliminated Guardiola's Manchester City from the Club World Cup. "We had to do something extraordinary because we knew how strong Manchester City were, we knew we had to climb Everest without oxygen, and we were great."

On the Catalan coach, the former Inter coach explains: "Guardiola is the best coach in the world, but tonight we did our best and we deserved the result".

Manchester City, Guardiola: "It's a shame we were eliminated, we weren't very cynical"

"It's a shame," said Pep Guardiola in a press conference after the extra-time defeat against Al-Hilal that eliminated Manchester City from the Club World Cup. "At this stage of the tournament, all games are difficult. We allowed them to create transitions, but we created a lot of them ourselves and in general we were good."

The Catalan coach analyses the match: "We had many actions and Bounou made incredible saves. There is nothing else to say. They defended very well in depth, in matches like this you have to be cynical".

"I have the feeling that the team is doing well, but now we go home and we have time to rest, refresh our minds and come back next season ," explains the Citizen coach. " I have seen many positive things that I had not noticed in the past, especially in the relationship between the players and the staff."

Manchester City, Bernardo Silva: "We are disappointed"

"We had big ambitions for this competition, we wanted to go really far. I think the team played well, so we are very disappointed. But the guys in the dressing room know that we have improved and we are improving a lot. We are starting to feel the team, the atmosphere in the dressing room, the energy and even the way we play. I think there have been improvements. We are not completely satisfied because we wanted to do much better, but we are starting to feel a good energy from the team to get back to our level," explained Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva after the match lost 4-3 against Al Hilal.

Inzaghi knocks down Guardiola, incredible: Al Hilal eliminates Manchester City from the Club World Cup

Manchester City, one of the 3-4 favourites to win the Club World Cup (coming from a 5-2 defeat of Juventus that had given them the victory in the group), were surprisingly beaten 4-3 in extra time by Saudi club Al-Hilal and eliminated in the round of 16 at the end of an extremely exciting match.

The match ended 2-2 at the end of regulation time with goals from Bernardo Silva (9'), Marcos Leonardo (46'), Malcom (52') and Haaland (55'). With just a few minutes left in the game, Haaland came close to making it 3-2 but his shot was cleared on the line.

In extra time everything changes: Koulibaly (94') and Marcos Leonardo again (112') make the Arabs dream, Foden's goal (104') is useless.

Simone Inzaghi avenges the 2023 Champions League final played in Istanbul and won by Guardiola's Manchester City over Inter (1-0 goal by Rodri, future Ballon d'Or winner at the end of the season) and flies to the quarter-finals where he could have found the Nerazzurri, if it weren't for the fact that Lautaro and his teammates were eliminated, somewhat surprisingly, by Thiao Silva's Fluminense.

Manchester City 3-4 Al Hilal

SCOREERS: 9' Bernardo Silva (M), 46' Marcos Leonardo (A), 52' Malcom (A), 55' Haaland (M), 94' Koulibaly (A), 104' Foden (M). 112' Marcos Leonardo (A)

ASSIST: Gundogan (M). Cancelo (A). Ruben Neves (A)

MANCHESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Nunes (from 53' Aké), Dias, Gvardiol (from 53' Akanji), Ait-Nouri; Bernardo Silva, Reijnders (Cherki from 90'); Savinho, Gundogan (Rodri from 53', Foden from 104'), Doku; Haaland (from 90' Marmoush). All. Guardiola.

AL HILAL (4-3-3): Bounou; Cancelo (from 88' Al Yami), Koulibaly, Al Harbi (from 88' Al Bulayhi) Renan Lodi; Milinkovic-Savic, Ruben Neves, N. Al Dawsari (from 105' Al Juwayr); Malcom (from 64' Kaio Cesar), Marcos Leonardo (from 116' Al Ghannam), Kanno (from 83' Ali Lajami). Coach Inzaghi.

REFEREE: Valenzuela (VEN)

AMMONITI: Gvardiol (M). Matheus Nunes (M), Akanji (M), Marcos Leonardo (A)

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