Fluminense 2-1 Al-Hilal: Hercules secures final four spot

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Fluminense 2-1 Al-Hilal: Hercules secures final four spotShareGoals from Martinelli and Hercules sent Fluminense through to the semi-final of the Club World Cup as they edged past Al-Hilal.Fluminense are the first team to reach the semi-finals of the Club World Cup after they beat Al-Hilal 2-1 in Orlando.Martinelli and Hercules scored on either side of Marcos Leonardo's strike to set up a final-four clash against either Palmeiras or Chelsea.In what was a cagey first half between the two sides, Fluminense took the lead just five minutes before the break when Martinelli fired his shot across Yassine Bounou and into the top-right corner, scoring with their only shot on target of the half.Al-Hilal responded just six minutes after half-time, when Kalidou Koulibaly, who saw a header brilliantly saved by Fabio earlier on, knocked the ball down from a corner towards Marcos Leonardo, who finished from close range.The Saudi Arabian side seemed to be gaining more control after their equaliser, but Fluminense regained the lead in the 70th minute.Half-time substitute Hercules got on the end of Samuel Xavier's flick-on and coolly fired the ball into the bottom-left corner.Despite Al-Hilal having over 70% possession for the final 15 minutes of the match, Fluminense threw their bodies on the line to keep out the wave of late pressure and ensure they would make it through to the next round.Data Debrief: Hercules' strength off the benchFluminense have scored four goals via substitutes in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup; only Manchester City (five) have scored more.Hercules also came off the bench to seal the Brazilian side's win over Inter in the last 16, making a big impact in the knockout rounds.And their resolute defending eventually got them over the line. They faced 12 shots in the second half, three of which were on target, while Juan Pablo Freytes and Ignacio both made nine clearances apiece as they kept Al-Hilal at bay.Fluminense 2-1 Al-Hilal: Hercules secures final four spotGoals from Martinelli and Hercules sent Fluminense through to the semi-final of the Club World Cup as they edged past Al-Hilal.Fluminense are the first team to reach the semi-finals of the Club World Cup after they beat Al-Hilal 2-1 in Orlando.Martinelli and Hercules scored on either side of Marcos Leonardo's strike to set up a final-four clash against either Palmeiras or Chelsea.In what was a cagey first half between the two sides, Fluminense took the lead just five minutes before the break when Martinelli fired his shot across Yassine Bounou and into the top-right corner, scoring with their only shot on target of the half.Al-Hilal responded just six minutes after half-time, when Kalidou Koulibaly, who saw a header brilliantly saved by Fabio earlier on, knocked the ball down from a corner towards Marcos Leonardo, who finished from close range.The Saudi Arabian side seemed to be gaining more control after their equaliser, but Fluminense regained the lead in the 70th minute.Half-time substitute Hercules got on the end of Samuel Xavier's flick-on and coolly fired the ball into the bottom-left corner.Despite Al-Hilal having over 70% possession for the final 15 minutes of the match, Fluminense threw their bodies on the line to keep out the wave of late pressure and ensure they would make it through to the next round.Data Debrief: Hercules' strength off the benchFluminense have scored four goals via substitutes in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup; only Manchester City (five) have scored more.Hercules also came off the bench to seal the Brazilian side's win over Inter in the last 16, making a big impact in the knockout rounds.And their resolute defending eventually got them over the line. They faced 12 shots in the second half, three of which were on target, while Juan Pablo Freytes and Ignacio both made nine clearances apiece as they kept Al-Hilal at bay.