Al-Hilal head coach Simone Inzaghi has described his team’s stunning 4-3 extra-time victory over Manchester City in the Club World Cup as akin to “climbing Mount Everest without oxygen.”
The Saudi Arabian side pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament so far by knocking out the European champions in a dramatic seven-goal thriller in Orlando on Monday. Marcos Leonardo struck the decisive winner in the 112th minute to seal Al-Hilal’s passage to the quarter-finals, where they will face Brazilian side Fluminense on Friday.
Inzaghi, who praised the collective effort and spirit of his players, said the result required something extraordinary.
“We had to climb Mount Everest without oxygen and we made it,” he told reporters. “All the players were exceptional—both in possession and without the ball. We were very well organised technically and tactically.”
He also lauded the quality of the opposition, calling Pep Guardiola the best coach in the world, while expressing pride in Al-Hilal’s discipline and belief.
Backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Al-Hilal have made major investments in recent years, signing high-profile players like Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Kalidou Koulibaly—who all featured in the historic win.
