Al Nassr and Al Hilal are said to have accomplished what their rival, Al Ittihad, failed to achieve. In a bold statement Fahad Al-Harifi, a Saudi League icon with an impressive 250 appearances for the Knights of Najd, claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo‘s team and the Saudi Pro League leaders would have been the teams to defeat the esteemed Manchester City in the Club World Cup.

To understand the context, it is important to note that Al Ittihad, the team chosen to represent the hosts, Saudi Arabia in the Club World Cup, had a disappointing performance. As last season’s Saudi Pro League winner, they were selected to compete in the tournament but were eliminated in Round 2 after a 3-1 loss to Al Ahly.

Al Nassr legend slams Al Ittihad’s performance

Following Al Ittihad’s exit, Fahad Al-Harifi didn’t hold back in expressing his disappointment. He boldly claimed that “If Al-Hilal or Al-Nasr had been in Al-Ittihad’s place in the Club World Cup, they would have reached the final and defeated Manchester City!”

This statement implies his belief that Al Ittihad’s lackluster performance could have been rectified by the two Saudi powerhouses. Another noteworthy point is that the Saudi side did not even get the chance to face Pep Guardiola‘s men. City’s status as the winners of the UEFA Champions League exempted them from the initial rounds.

As for Al-Harifi’s confidence in Al Hilal and Al Nassr, it highly stems from the current SPL standings. The defending champions, Al Ittihad currently find themselves struggling in the 5th position of the league standing. As for Al Hilal and Al Nassr, they are leading the league, occupying the 1st and 2nd positions respectively.

However, the claims made are only possibilities of what could have or haven’t been. Additionally, Manchester City, the Premier League side in question, has not yet secured a place in the finals themselves.

Manchester City’s Club World Cup journey starts today

In just a few hours Manchester City is set to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final against their first opponent, Urawa Red Diamonds. The Japanese team advanced to this stage by defeating Mexican team Leon in Round Two.

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The victor of this match will progress to the finals and take on Fluminese, the team that eliminated Al Ahly. Although Manchester City won’t be facing Al Nassr or Al Hilal, they still face a challenging path to win the tournament for the first time in their history.

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