We believed - Ex-Chelsea star explains how Al Hilal dump Manchester City out of FIFA Club World Cup

Al-Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly has revealed how the club defeated Manchester City 4-3 in the Club World Cup clash to produce a dramatic upset in the tournament's history.

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal shocked Premier League champions club Manchester City with a 4-3 extra-time victory on Monday night in Orlando, securing a historic quarter-final clash with Brazil's Fluminense.

The Riyadh-based club held their nerve in an electrifying contest, with Marcos Leonardo grabbing the decisive goal in the 112th minute to complete a remarkable brace and dump Pep Guardiola’s side out of the competition.

Manchester City had taken an early lead through Bernardo Silva in the 9th minute, capitalising on a defensive mishap that left the Portuguese international with a tap-in from close range. While Al-Hilal protested a suspected handball in the buildup, the referee waved play on.

City appeared to be cruising but were pegged back shortly after halftime when Marcos Leonardo headed home following a rebound from Ederson’s initial save.

Al-Hilal then flipped the script just minutes later as Malcom calmly slotted in a second, thanks to a precision through-ball from Joao Cancelo.

The lead didn’t last long, however, Erling Haaland restored parity with a trademark finish from Silva’s corner in the 59th minute to make it 2-2 to force extra time.

Kalidou Koulibaly gave Al-Hilal a 3-2 lead in the 94th minute with a powerful header from a Ruben Neves corner, and despite City’s best efforts to level again through Foden, it was Leonardo’s 112th-minute winner that sealed a famous win.

The former Chelsea star revealed that the team belived in their strength and talent to defeat former Premier League champions.

“We knew it was going to be a tough match against one of the best teams in the world. But we believed in our style, our strength, and our talent. Defensively we stayed compact, and offensively we took our chances. This is a proud moment for all of us,” said Al-Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly after the game.

Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou played a key role, producing a string of fine saves to deny the English side a comfortable lead in the first half.

With the victory, Al-Hilal move on to face Copa Libertadores champions Fluminense in the quarter-finals.