Fluminense beat Al-Hilal to reach Club World Cup semi-final

Brazilian giants Fluminense have advanced to the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup, narrowly defeating Saudi Arabian champions Al-Hilal 2-1 in a thrilling quarter-final match held at the Camping World Stadium on Friday.

Fluminense took the lead late in the first half through Matheus Martinelli but Al-Hilal had previously stunned Manchester City, quickly equalised in the second half with Marcos Leonardo scoring his fourth goal of the tournament.

The decisive moment came in the 70th minute when Fluminense’s super-sub Hercules, introduced at halftime, re-established their lead with a crucial strike.

The Brazilians then had to weather a late storm from Al-Hilal, who pressed hard for an equalizer in a tense final period but Fluminense’s defense held firm to secure the victory.

The hard-fought win sees Fluminense book their spot in the last four where they will face English club Chelsea in what promises to be another highly anticipated encounter.