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Fluminense-Al Hilal 2-1: the Inter’s heroes also defeat the former Inter coach, who can lament for two denied penalties.

The adventure of Simone Inzaghi and Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup ends in the quarterfinals. A virtuous journey, marked by some excellent victories (especially over Manchester CityFluminense continues, as after eliminating Inter in the semifinals, they will face either Chelsea with Maresca or a Brazilian derby with Palmeiras.

Fluminense-Al Hilal 2-1, Inzaghi out but those two “ghost” penalties cry for revenge

The Italian coach has a limited number of players. This is because Al Hilal does not have a deep squad (they are very strong in the starting eleven, but there is a huge technical gap between the starters and their reserves), and they have been plagued by injuries and suspensions. Due to numerous absences, the Saudi club was forced to loan the 34-year-old local striker Hamdallah from Al-Shabab (a prolific striker in his homeland) in a very “particular” deal.

Indeed, the Saudi striker joined Inzaghi’s team on a dry loan basis only until the end of the Club World Cup. Therefore, the 15 minutes (plus injury time) of tonight were (and will be) the only ones played with the Al Hilal shirt. This was due to the injury of the starting striker (former Fulham Mitrovic) and the not perfect physical condition of Malcom, who was still a starter and among the best players on the losing side.

It must be said that his replacement, Marcos Leonardo, did not disappoint. With 4 goals, he shares the top scorer title of the tournament with the eternal Di Maria. One of these four goals came tonight to equalize the initial Brazilian advantage (caused by a glaring error from Cancelo) scored by Martinelli, a midfielder from Fluminense who promises to be at the center of the transfer market this summer.

Between the two goals of the two compatriots, Al Hilal can lament for a goal that was first awarded by referee Makkelie and then revoked after an On Field Review. Finally, referees now explain the reasons behind their decisions, but perhaps it would have been better if they hadn’t. In fact, the Dutch referee qualifies the intervention as a “normal game contact” that he “did not see in real-time“.

A reasonable decision, considering the light and unintentional contact between the two players, but for years we have been told that if there is contact, VAR cannot intervene because only the on-field referee can judge its extent. With this rule also thrown out, one of the few certainties for fans and professionals in the era of technology applied (poorly) to football is shattered, as evidenced in the final moments of the match.

The former Napoli Koulibaly is repeatedly fouled in the box by Inacio, who, after a series of repeated but mutual holds, drags the Senegalese defender to the ground with a tackle more suited to rugby than football. Makkelie remains silent, VAR shrugs, and the game becomes even more tense. Koulibaly himself is also booked for simulation in the frantic final minutes, but in reality, there is clear contact between his heel and the leg of the Fluminense defender. Perhaps it’s not a penalty, but it’s definitely not simulation.

However, Fluminense resists stoically and reaches the semifinals (where they will face either Chelsea with Enzo Maresca or Palmeiras) with an enviable track record: they have only conceded one goal in the second halves of the last ten official matches. Inzaghi’s team licks its wounds, as they perhaps deserved more for what they showed on the field but physiologically paid the price for a squad not equipped for this kind of competition. In case of progressing to the next round, the Italian coach would have had to do without Ruben Neves, Renan Lodi, and Koulibaly himself: all cautioned and booked tonight.

Too many for a squad with a bare-bones squad that forced the former Inter coach to adapt the Brazilian full-back and former Atletico Madrid player to a role that is not his, namely the left-sided center-back in a three-man defense, to try to stem the crisis. It was precisely due to his missed intervention, probably also influenced by the caution, that the hero of Inter Hercules (who came on for Martinelli, the best player on the field and scorer of the 1-0 goal) scored another crucial goal and fueled Fluminense’s dream.

SIMONE INZAGHI LANCIA IL PALLONE ( FOTO DI SALVATORE FORNELLI )