JEDDAH: Kevin De Bruyne was not included among the substitutes for Manchester City on Tuesday despite traveling to Saudi Arabia for the team’s Club World Cup semifinal game against Japanese club Urawa Red Diamonds.
De Bruyne had been a surprise addition Monday at the team’s light training session at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
The 32-year-old playmaker had surgery on a hamstring injury more than four months ago. He last played for the European champions on Aug. 11 against Burnley, leaving the field just 23 minutes into the first game of the Premier League season.
It was the same problem that forced the Belgium playmaker to be substituted in the first half of the Champions League final against Inter Milan in June.
The winner of Tuesday’s match will play Brazilian club Fluminense in the Club World Cup final on Friday. The loser will face Egyptian club Al Ahly in the third-place game on the same day.
Kevin De Bruyne left off Manchester City team sheet for Club World Cup semifinals in Saudi Arabia
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Kevin De Bruyne left off Manchester City team sheet for Club World Cup semifinals in Saudi Arabia
- De Bruyne had been a surprise addition Monday at the team’s light training session at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium
- The 32-year-old playmaker had surgery on a hamstring injury more than four months ago
Nunez double seals win as Al-Hilal finish AFC Champions League Elite group stage atop the table
- Reigning champions Al-Ahli take second spot in the West Region rankings with dramatic 4-3 win over Emirati side Shabab Al-Ahli
- The other Saudi contenders, Al-Ittihad, wrap up the group stage with a visit to Al-Sadd of Qatar on Tuesday, having already guaranteed qualification for the Round of 16
DUBAI: Al-Hilal concluded the group stage of the AFC Champions League Elite with a 2-1 home win over Al-Wahda of Abu Dhabi on Monday.
The Riyadh side finished top of the 12-team West Region table on 22 points from eight games, five clear of their closest challengers, Saudi Pro League rivals Al-Ahli. Both clubs progress to the Round of 16, which will played over two legs early next month.
Darwin Nunez gave the home team the lead after 19 minutes with a firm header from a Reuben Neves cross, but Brahim Diarra’s equalizer on 32 minutes meant the teams went into the break on level terms.
Al-Hilal were already guaranteed top place in the group regardless of the result but coach Simone Inzaghi signaled a desire to conclude the group stage in style with a victory as he made four substitutions in a second half during which for long spells his team struggled to break down the visitors from the UAE.
The winner finally came after 77 minutes when Nunez converted substitute Sultan Mandash’s low cross from close range to claim his second of the night.
Earlier, reigning champions Al-Ahli claimed a dramatic 4-3 home win over Emirati club Shabab Al-Ahli to all-but ensure second place in the group table.
The Jeddah side seemed to be coasting to a comfortable victory as they built a 3-0 half-time lead thanks to a Feras Al-Buraikan strike after 12 minutes, a Bogdan Planic own goal in the 35th, and a goal from Enzo Millot in the third minute of first-half stoppage time. Things got even better when Saleh Abu Al-Shamat added fourth from the penalty spot after 52 minutes.
That seemed to be that, but the visitors had other ideas and launched a most unlikely comeback courtesy of two strikes from Breno Cascardo, in the 66th and 78th minutes, and a stoppage-time goal by Mohammed Juma that tested the nerves of Al-Ahli’s fans in the closing moments of the match.
The visitors had barely any time to chase an equalizer, however, and the home team held on.
The Kingdom’s third representatives in the competition, reigning SPL champions Al-Ittihad, wrap up their group stage campaign with a visit to Al-Sadd of Qatar on Tuesday.
The Jeddah side are sitting in fifth place in the table on 12 points from seven matches, and cannot finish any lower than that but could end up as high as third place, depending on results tomorrow. The top eight teams qualify for the Round of 16, in which they will be joined by the top eight finishers from the East Region.
