Al Ahly of Egypt secured a 3-1 victory against Karim Benzema’s Al Ittihad in the second round of the Club World Cup, with Urawa Reds also advancing to the semi-finals.
Al Ahly secured their place in the Club World Cup semi-finals in Jeddah with a first-half Ali Maaloul penalty, complemented by goals from Hussein El Shahat and Emam Ashour on either side of the hour mark.
The initial 45 minutes of the match were defined by two penalties, one successfully converted and one missed.
Maaloul propelled the CAF Champions League winners into the lead in the 21st minute, confidently converting his spot-kick after a VAR intervention.
Al Ittihad’s marquee summer acquisition, Benzema, faced disappointment as his penalty was saved by Mohamed El Shenawy on the stroke of halftime. This setback left his team trailing 1-0 as they entered the break.
The contest was virtually decided after an hour when El Shahat curled in a second goal for Al Ahly in the 59th minute, swiftly followed by a third courtesy of Ashour just three minutes later.
As the clock ticked down to the final whistle, Anthony Modeste received a red card in the 90th minute.
The red card presented a lifeline to the Saudi side, and two minutes into added time, Benzema redeemed himself for the earlier saved penalty by emphatically scoring a consolation goal for the local team.
The Egyptian champions are set to face Copa Libertadores victors Fluminense of Brazil in the first semi-final tie on Monday. Meanwhile, Urawa Reds of Japan secured a victory against Mexican opponents Leon with a lone goal from Alex Schalk, paving the way for a semi-final showdown against Manchester City on Tuesday.
Second-half substitute Schalk secured the 2022 AFC Champions League winners’ spot in the Club World Cup semi-finals with a 1-0 win. The tightly contested match saw the decisive moment unfold in the 78th minute when the Dutchman, set up by Jose Kante, found space in the Leon penalty box and skillfully squeezed his right-footed shot past the advancing Rodolfo Cota.
Hopes of a comeback for the CONCACAF Champions League holders were dashed when William Tesillo received a second booking six minutes from time. Despite being reduced to 10 men, they couldn’t find a way to break down Urawa Reds.
