Al Hilal's Brazilians out to flummox Fluminense at Club World Cup | OneFootball

Football, and form, can turn in an instant - just ask Al Hilal duo Marcos Leonardo and Malcom.

Up until half-time of the revamped FIFA Club World Cup, Round of 16 clash with Manchester City, the Brazilian duo had endured an otherwise frustrating campaign in the United States as Al Hilal failed to turn their general dominance into goals.

Without Aleksandar Mitrovic, Leonardo was entrusted to lead the line in the Serbian’s absence for the Riyadh giants, something he did to great effect last season in the Roshn Saudi League, when he scored 17 goals.

But despite striking late to seal the win against CF Pachuca as Al Hilal booked their place in the knockout stage of the expanded Club World Cup, it had been a tournament of missed opportunities for the former Santos star.

Unlike last term in the RSL, Leonardo had failed to convert a number of opportunities he would expect to put away.

The same goes for compatriot Malcom, who had huffed and puffed in attack but had never delivered the killer blow. But in six stunning second-half minutes against City in Orlando on Monday, all that changed.

A scything run from Malcom set up the equaliser for Leonardo less than a minute into the second half, before the former Corinthians forward finally got a goal of his own to turn the game completely on its head.

From 1-0 down against the recent English and European champions, in an instant Al Hilal were 2-1 up.

Leonardo continued to run himself into the ground and was rewarded with a second in the second period of extra-time. It proved to be the winner, sealing one of the most noteworthy results in the history of Saudi club football. Justifiably, it produced an iconic goal celebration for the ages.

They are moments that will live in Al Hilal legend for decades to come, and memories both Leonardo and Malcom will cherish for the remainder of their careers and their lives.

Now, though, the ex-employees of Santos and Corinthians are eyeing a quarter-final encounter with a club they know only too well from their formative years in their native Brazil: Fluminense.

With Mitrovic and Salem Al Dawsari to remain on the sidelines for the remainder of the tournament, much of the attacking threat against the Rio de Janeiro giants on Friday will fall to the Brazilian duo.

For sure, they would love nothing more than to repeat their feat against their countrymen and carry Al Hilal one step closer to international glory.

With confidence now coursing through their collective body - Al Hilal opened their Club World Cup account with a superb display against Real Madrid - the key for Simone Inzaghi’s side will be ensuring the game is played on their terms.

Part of that, of course, will be playing to the strengths of Leonardo and Malcom.

Malcom is at his devastating best when he has space to run into and defenders retreating. His speed and agility make him a threat in any position, as was evidenced by his run to tee up the equaliser against City.

While he may not have had his scoring boots on this tournament, the more he gets into those positions, the more dangerous and threatening he becomes.

Leonardo, meanwhile, is a threat from multiple angles. He has the physique and strength to play the role of a traditional No 9, holding up the ball and creating space in behind opposition defences.

But he’s also an aerial threat from set-pieces and a penalty-area predator. More often than not, he finds himself in the right spot at the right time - an instinct betrayed by all the best strikers.

But, despite there has been only being a handful of days between the against City and the quarter-final with Fluminense, the attacking threat offered by Al Hilal has changed significantly in the interim.

Rather remarkably, the 2023-24 RSL champions have been able to fast-track the loan signing of Abderazzak Hamdallah, taking advantage of a second registration window at the Club World Cup to add to their squad a frontman who sits second in the RSL’s all-time scoring charts.

With fatigue likely to be an issue after two gruelling weeks in the American sun, and especially after 120 minutes in taxing conditions in Orlando against City, bringing in a fresh player, especially one as dangerous as Hamdallah, could make all the difference.

Maybe it will see Leonardo, who was cramping badly by the end of the match on Monday, used as a super-sub option off the bench, adding some firepower to change the game if needed.

His compatriot Malcom came off after 64 minutes against City, continuing a trend from the Group H clashes with Real Madrid and FC Salzburg, so fatigue should be less of an issue for the 28-year-old.

His fresh legs against a tired Fluminense defence, one that includes a 40-year-old Thiago Silva still recovering from injury, could be the secret weapon Al Hilal need to etch another chapter into their glorious history.

Undoubtedly, their Brazilian pair would love to be the ones to remind everyone back home, and around the world, of their tireless talents.