Martinelli and Hercules were on target as Fluminense knocked out Saudi Arabian giants Al-Hilal to reach Club World Cup semi-finals.
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Fluminense beat Al-Hilal 2-1 in the quarterfinalsSimone Inzaghi's men frustrated by a rugged defenceWill face either Palmeiras or Chelsea in the semi-finalsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportTELL ME MORE
The match kicked off under a sombre atmosphere as both sides paused for a moment of silence in memory of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva. What followed was a cautious and uneventful start, with both teams choosing a safety-first approach in the early stages. It was almost a snoozefest, and not until the 18th minute did the fans at the Camping World Stadium witness a shot at goal.
With five minutes left before the break, Martinelli delivered the first standout moment. Cutting inside with pace and purpose, he unleashed a fierce left-footed drive that curled into the far corner, leaving Al-Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou with no chance. The Brazilian’s effort brought the stadium to its feet and finally gave the supporters something to cheer for after a sluggish opening.
Just before the half-time whistle, Al-Hilal nearly equalized. Defender Kalidou Koulibaly rose highest to meet a pinpoint Ruben Neves free-kick and sent a thumping header toward goal. It looked destined to ripple the net, but Fluminense keeper Fabio pulled off a stunning reflex save, diving to his right to tip it behind for a corner. There was more drama to come before the break. Al-Hilal thought they had a golden chance to level the score when Marcos Leonardo went down in the box after contact from Xavier. Referee Danny Makkelie initially pointed to the spot, but a swift VAR check reversed the decision, ruling out the penalty to the dismay of the Saudi bench.
Simone Inzaghi’s side emerged from the tunnel with renewed energy and wasted little time turning that into results. Just six minutes into the second half, pressure from a series of corners forced a lapse in the Fluminense defence. Ruben Neves sent in another dangerous cross from the right flank, and Koulibaly again made his presence felt, heading the ball back across goal. This time, it dropped kindly for Leonardo, who reacted quickest to poke home from close range.
Al-Hilal’s celebrations barely lasted before Fluminense struck back with a swift counterpunch. Super-sub Hercules, who had made a habit of scoring off the bench, once again delivered. His initial shot was blocked after a scramble in the box, but he remained alert, pouncing on a follow-up header from Xavier. With calm precision, Hercules slammed his shot past Bounou to restore the Brazilian side's lead and seal the victory.
AdvertisementTHE MVP
Hercules put the final nail in Inter's coffin in the round of 16 as he netted deep inside stoppage time to fire Fluminense to the quarter-final. And he did it again against Al-Hilal to emerge as the MVP. It was a neatly-placed shot at the left-bottom corner that beat an outstretched Bounou. Two sensational goals and the Brazilian side find themselves in the semi-finals.
Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream nowGetty Images SportTHE BIG LOSER
Joao Cancelo had to simply clear his lines to avert the danger, but the former Manchester City full-back made a mess of his clearance and that allowed Fuentes to continue with the attack. He simply rolled it for Martinelli, who took a deft first touch to set himself up for a fiery left-footer that put Fluminense in the lead.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
Fluminense will now head to New York for the semi-final, where they will face either Palmeiras or Chelsea on July 8.
