Man City fall in extra-time thriller against Al-Hilal | OneFootball

Manchester City and Al-Hilal delivered an absolute thriller in Orlando, with the Saudi side stunning the English side 4-3 after extra time, in what will surely go down as one of the most dramatic matches of the year.

Pep Guardiola's side began with their trademark control and took a deserved lead after just nine minutes. Bernardo Silva finished off a slick move, tapping in after a clever cut-back from Rayan Ait-Nouri.

The Premier League side dominated the opening exchanges, forcing Al-Hilal keeper Bono into several key saves, including efforts from Savinho, Ilkay Gündogan, and Josko Gvardiol in the first half.

The second half saw the momentum swing like a pendulum. Just after the restart, Marcos Leonardo levelled the game, reacting quickest to nod home after Ederson failed to clear properly. 1-1.

In the 52nd minute, Malcom gave Al-Hilal the lead with a clinical finish on the break - João Cancelo found him in space, and the Brazilian made no mistake.

However, City equalised just minutes later, as Erling Haaland capitalised on a loose ball from a corner to make it 2-2 in the 55th minute.

With the score level, the game opened up. Leonardo nearly grabbed his second, and Mohamed Kanno went close with a thunderous drive. At the other end, Haaland had a header cleared off the line, as the tempo refused to relent.

The 90 minutes ended level, but extra time would bring even more drama.

Al-Hilal started the extra period strongly. In the 94th minute, Rúben Neves delivered a pinpoint corner for Kalidou Koulibaly, who rose highest to head home and restore Hilal’s lead at 3–2.

City refused to quit. Ten minutes later, Phil Foden latched onto a brilliant through ball from Rayan Cherki and coolly slotted home to make it 3-3, setting up a tense finish.

But it was Al-Hilal who would have the final word. In the 113th minute, the excellent Renan Lodi surged down the left and delivered a low cross to Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. His initial shot was saved, but the rebound fell to Marcos Leonardo, who finished emphatically while grounded, sealing a memorable 4-3 victory.

Simone Inzaghi's side will now face Fluminense in the quarter-finals, after the Brazilian club stunned Inter with a 2-0 win.