Al Hilal were undone in the second half by a Bruno Henrique-inspired Flamengo side as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final in Qatar.
The Saudi Arabia outfit were the better team in the first half and went ahead through a Salem Al-Dawsari strike in the 18th minute.
However, they didn’t make the most of their opportunities and the threat of an upset from the Asian champions was extinguished in the second half.
Henrique set up Giorgian De Arrascaeta to spark a fightback before heading home himself 12 minutes from time.
The result was sealed when his cross was then deflected in off an unlucky Ali Al-Bulayhi in the 82nd minute before Andre Carrillo lost his head and received his marching orders moments later.
CLOSE CONTEST
History will record a Flamengo win by two clear goals but this was hardly a comfortable outing for the Brazilians. Indeed, it was the Saudi champions who were unquestionably the better side in the first half, denying their opponents a single shot on target.
Meanwhile, they were also the ones asking all the questions at the other end and will feel aggrieved to have gone into the break only 1-0 up. A good move saw Al-Dawsari force a save from Diego Alves before Bafetimbi Gomis was unable to adjust his body in time when the rebound fell to him and blazed his effort over the bar with the goal gaping.
When Hilal did score though, it came from another well-worked move. Sebastian Giovinco played the ball wide with a clever pass and Mohammed Al-Breik had the presence of mind to find Al-Dawsari at the top of the box.
However, Razvan Lucescu’s side seemed taken aback by the intensity with which Flamengo began the second half. The Brazilian’s pressed forward for the first 15 minutes after the restart and De Arrascaeta equalised after Henrique squared the ball to him at the end of a sweeping move.
They could’ve been further ahead had Gabriel Barbosa made the most of a couple of other openings but Hilal seemed to have weathered the storm.
A fantastic cross from former Bayern Munich full-back Rafinha however saw Henrique put Flamengo ahead in the 78th minute before his drilled cross four minutes later was turned into his own net by Al-Bulayhi.
Even at the death though, with a man down, Hilal mustered a few chances to get back in the game but it wasn’t to be.
#AlHilal_Flamengo ⚽️#ClubWC 🌎#AlHilal 💙#ALHILALatClubWC 🤩
— AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) December 17, 2019
Hard Luck Blues 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/u7ZFlcVFRa
HENRIQUE HEROICS
All eyes were on the prolific strikers ‘Gabigol’ and Gomis going into this tie with both having scored eight goals in their last 10 matches. The Brazilian scored the brace that secured the Copa Libertadores for Flamengo, while the Frenchman’s most recent strike took his side through to this semi-final.
However, while Al-Dawsari was the one who drew first blood for Hilal, it was Henrique who would grab headlines with a match-winning display.
The Brazilian winger had a hand in each of the three Flamengo goals. He unselfishly cut the ball back for De Arrascaeta to restore parity early in the second half and made no mistake with a thumping header from Rafinha’s cross to put his side ahead.
Then, with the clock running down, his ball across the six-yard box that looked destined for Gabriel was deflected into the goal by Al-Bulayhi. It was a scintillating display from the 28-year-old who really came to life in the second half.
SADD HIT FOR SIX
Earlier in the day, CAF champions Esperance Sportive de Tunis bowed out of the tournament with a 6-2 hammering of host side Al Sadd during the fifth-place playoff. Libyan winger Hamdou Elhounis scored a hat-trick for the African outfit while Anice bagged a brace before Sameh Derbali added a sixth at the death.
Xavi’s Qatari side always had a mountain to climb though after Abdelkarim Hassan was issued a red card in the 24th minute while also conceding a penalty that saw Esperance go 3-0 up with a man advantage. Baghdad Bounedjah and Hassan Al-Haydos both converted from the spot in either half to reduce the deficit though.
