Group H of the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) remains tantalizingly poised after a goalless draw between Salzburg and Al Hilal in Washington D.C. The stalemate brought an end to Salzburg’s impressive 16-match scoring streak and left both sides with work to do to secure a spot in the knockout rounds.
Al Hilal, looking to build on their momentum from becoming the first Asian side to avoid defeat against European opposition at the CWC by drawing with Real Madrid in their previous outing, started strongly. They came close to opening the scoring inside three minutes when Joao Cancelo and Malcom combined effectively down the right flank, but the Portuguese full-back could only drag his shot wide from a promising position inside the box. The Saudi side largely controlled the first half, though they were indebted to goalkeeper Yassine Bounou for preserving parity.
Patient build-up from Salzburg eventually sprung to life when Frans Kratzig’s floated cross was met in improvised fashion by Karim Onisiwo. However, Bounou reacted brilliantly, tipping the ball over the bar with a superb save. Simone Inzaghi’s men regrouped from there, and despite their overall control of the contest, they desperately struggled to test the Salzburg goalkeeper effectively. Their biggest chance of the half arrived in the 21st minute when Salem Al Dawsari’s cross found Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, whose header was blocked by a retreating Jacob Rasmussen, who then recovered swiftly to thwart Marcos Leonardo’s follow-up rebound.
A tactical change in system at the break afforded Thomas Letsch’s Salzburg a greater foothold following the restart. They came tantalizingly close to breaking the deadlock just three minutes into the second period. Salzburg recycled a corner to great effect, but Bounou was once again on hand to deny John Mellberg from point-blank range, before Kalidou Koulibaly heroically cleared Dorgeles Nene’s rebound off the line.
Al Hilal soon regained their composure and threatened through Cancelo, whose venomous strike was tipped away to safety, before Malcom’s shot deflected wide of the target. By the cooling break, Salzburg appeared to be the side with more energy, and their confidence continued to grow once play resumed, with Yorbe Vertessen firing wide.
Despite their sustained endeavor, Salzburg ultimately found no way past the impenetrable Bounou. The draw ended their three-match winning streak and denied them the chance to secure immediate passage to the last 16. They now face Real Madrid on matchday three, needing a win to guarantee progression. Al Hilal, meanwhile, must also emerge victorious against Pachuca if they are to qualify, having extended their unbeaten run to seven matches across all competitions.
