RIYADH: Al-Hilal are the talk of the football world after their sensational 4-3 win over Manchester City in the round of 16 at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Ahead of their quarterfinal against Brazil鈥檚 Fluminense on Friday, Arab News asked three experts on 黑料社区 football how Al-Hilal can continue to upset the odds and potentially reach and win the final.
- Roel Coumans听- Former 黑料社区 national team assistant, head coach of Abha, Al-Hazm, Al-Adalah
鈥淚f Al-Hilal are in any European competition then they would be in the top four and there is no doubt that when Fluminense look at the Hilal team, they will not be underestimating them.
鈥淚n football everything is possible and Hilal can go all the way. I always tell my players to dream big, this is what football is all about.
鈥淏ut it is important that Hilal don鈥檛 look forward too much, the next match is always the important one. There is a chance that after City the players may underestimate Fluminense and that is not possible at this level.
鈥淭hey should involve the Brazilian players who can tell them about Fluminense.
鈥淭he game will be totally different to the City game. In that, they were the underdog and you have to defend much more than against Fluminense.
鈥淲hen I look at Inzaghi鈥檚 tactics, he is always trying to play in a compact 4-5-1 formation and he will ensure that the system is not too different.
鈥淭here is a danger in that South America football is more physical and that may be something that the players are not used to.
鈥淏ut now there is a good vibe around Al-Hilal. If Al-Dawsari can return that will be great as he adds creativity.鈥
- Paul Williams -聽Founder and host of The Asian Game podcast, football journalist
鈥淎l-Hilal鈥檚 path to the Club World Cup final has certainly opened up after their stunning upset win over Manchester City. It was a landmark moment, not just for the club but for Saudi football.
鈥淲hile the challenge on paper might look easier against Fluminense, it鈥檚 likely to be anything but.
鈥淥ne has to consider the context and circumstances of the victory against Manchester City, which was achieved without three of their starting XI, who will all be absent again against Fluminense.
鈥淣ot to mention the physical and emotional toll that the 120 minutes in Orlando would have taken. But having slayed the Premier League giant, they鈥檒l attack that game with a renewed sense of vigor.
鈥淪hould they get through, then a likely semifinal against Chelsea awaits, although one can never discount Palmeiras. But having beaten one Premier League giant already this tournament, facing Chelsea would hold no fears for them.
鈥淎nd then it would likely be Real Madrid or PSG in the final, and having already gone toe-to-toe with Real Madrid in the opening game, and even shading that game for large parts, that is another that would hold no fear for Al-Hilal.
鈥淥f course, as fun as it is to speculate, it鈥檚 all still hypothetical and Al-Hilal cannot allow itself to think any further than Fluminense this week. Having dispensed of Inter Milan, they have shown they also should not be taken lightly.
鈥淏ut after defeating the might of Manchester City, Al-Hilal will now believe anything is possible.鈥
- John Duerden -聽Asia and Middle East football writer and analyst
鈥淲hile it is premature to talk of the draw opening up for Al-Hilal, there is no doubt that the road to the final looks rockier on the other side.
鈥淭he biggest challenge may be coming back down to Earth after the win against Manchester City.
鈥淐oach Inzaghi talked of how his team climbed Everest without oxygen against the European powerhouse, and while those words were perfect, the message has to now change.
鈥淭he summit is within sight but is still some distance away.
鈥淗ilal are the talk of the football world, and that is a unique position for an Asian club to be in. Maybe now the pressure is off, the tournament will always be remembered as a success, whatever happens.
鈥淥r maybe it will be hard, both physically (after 120 grueling minutes in the heat) and mentally, to recover from the last game.
鈥淎nd, Fluminense will now be very wary, if they weren鈥檛 before. Inzaghi was happy to let City have most of the ball and City were happy to have it. Hilal were hugely impressive on the counter, but Fluminense are not likely to make the same mistakes that City did defensively.
鈥淜orea鈥檚 Ulsan gave the Brazilian(s) many problems but couldn鈥檛 kill the game when they were ahead and eventually paid the price. Taking chances will be key.
鈥淚f Salem Al-Dawsari plays, then he could be the difference, though Hilal would love to have the physical presence of Aleksandar Mitrovic.
鈥淎 win means the last four and there is nobody to fear. If it is Chelsea in the semifinal then the London team are awkward opponents and able to pull off results when needed but they are a level below the elite of Europe.
鈥淎nd that is Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern. Surely one of those will make the final.
鈥淗ilal have impressed but would, rightly, be clear underdogs. Hilal are not expected to win but they have shown that they are capable of doing so.
鈥淔irst though, that cliche has to be repeated all around the training ground over the next day or two 鈥榦ne game at a time.鈥欌
