OneFootball
·24 de junio de 2025
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Yahoo sportsOneFootball
·24 de junio de 2025
It seemed like everything was set for a perfect evening: Inter Miami was ahead by two goals, Messi was celebrating his 38th birthday with a smile, and first place in the group was in the bag. But the finale told a different story.
After the goals from Allende and Suarez that had deluded the American fans, Paulinho and Mauricio managed to restore parity and turn the group's fate around. In the other match, Porto and Al Ahly gave life to a spectacular but useless challenge for the standings: with the draw, both teams bid farewell to the Club World Cup.
At the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, the atmosphere was electric from the pre-match. Among the banners that colored the stands, one stole the scene: “Messi, will you marry me?”, asked with irony a lovely grandmother. Impossible not to smile.
The match took off immediately: at 16’, Suarez and Allende orchestrated an author's play that put Inter Miami ahead 1-0.
If the assist on the first goal was applauded, the same can be said of the doubling: this time the Pistolero did everything by himself. Defenders jumped like skittles and the ball went under the crossbar. The Americans flew.
But football, as we know, does not forgive. And Palmeiras did not give up. With three moves from the bench, coach Abel Ferreira changed the face of the match.
At 80’, Allan served Paulinho the ball for the 2-1 goal, and seven minutes later it was Mauricio who froze Ustari with a precise right-footed shot that turned everything around: 2-2 and first place in Group A snatched away from Messi and his teammates on the wire.
In the other match of the group, Porto and Al Ahly shared the spoils in a spectacular but useless challenge for the standings: both teams bid farewell to the Club World Cup.
The match followed a well-defined scheme: goal from the Egyptians - response from the Portuguese. In the end, it ended 4-4, but Porto-Al Ahly was also a festival of errors.
The Egyptians were one step away from the fifth goal on two occasions, while Samu wasted a clamorous opportunity from a few yards for the 4-4, and from him, it was not expected. Flop.
The verdict is served: Palmeiras closes in first place and prepares for an all-Brazilian derby with Botafogo in the round of 16. Inter Miami passes the round anyway, but as second: waiting for Messi is a special challenge against his European past, Paris Saint-Germain.
For Leo, a birthday to remember: in his career, he has never been eliminated in the group stage of a tournament (33 in total)
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.
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