In a shocking turn of events, Brazilian football club Fluminense has secured a place in the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup, defeating Inter Milan 2-0. This impressive victory sets the stage for a quarterfinal match against either Manchester City or Al Hilal on Friday.
The match began with a dream start for Fluminense, as German Cano capitalized on a deflected cross just three minutes into the game, heading the ball through goalkeeper Yann Sommer's legs. The Brazilian side almost doubled their lead in the 30th minute, but Sommer managed to deny Samuel Xavier's rebound attempt. Ignacio came close to scoring the second goal for Fluminense, but was ruled offside by the automated review system.
In the second half, Fluminense continued to create dangerous chances, with Sommer making a number of impressive saves to keep Inter Milan in the game. Inter Milan's best opportunity to score came in the 80th and 82nd minute, with Lautaro Martinez striking the post with a low effort only seconds later. However, the deadlock was finally broken eleven minutes from time, when Hercules found himself free at the edge of the 18-yard box following a throw-in, and drove a composed, low finish into the bottom right corner.
Fluminense captain Thiago Silva expressed his pride in his team's performance, stating, "I'm very happy for myself and the team. Ten days ago, I had an injury, and it wasn't easy to play today. But I am very happy with the medical team ... it was very very important for me to play today."
With this victory, Fluminense joins Palmeiras as the second Brazilian team to reach the Club World Cup quarterfinals in the expanded tournament format. They will face the winner of Monday's match between Manchester City and Al Hilal in the quarterfinals. If Manchester City progress, a rematch of the 2023 Club World Cup final, which Manchester City won 4-0, could be on the cards.
Inter Milan's coach, Cristian Chivu, praised his team's attitude despite the loss, stating, "We didn't give up; we tried until the end. We tried to make some changes even in the formation. It wasn't our day."
Inter Milan were eliminated in the second round 30 days after they suffered a 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final. They also narrowly finished second in the Italian Serie A.
Comments (0)
Leave a Comment
Be the first to comment on this article!