Losing semi-finalists Al Ahly and Flamengo will lock horns in the Club World Cup on Saturday to determine which team claims third position in the 2022 competition.
Flamengo suffered a 3-2 loss to Al-Hilal in the tournament's first semi-final on Tuesday evening, before Al Ahly went down 4-1 to the competition favourites Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Match preview
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Al Ahly recorded a 1-0 victory over Auckland City in the first round of the 2022 Club World Cup before beating Seattle Sounders 1-0 three days later to book their spot in the semi-finals of the competition.
The Egyptian outfit were always going to be up against it against Real Madrid, but they were still in the match entering second-half stoppage time.
Indeed, a penalty from Ali Maaloul had halved Real Madrid's lead, with Carlo Ancelotti's side 2-1 ahead entering stoppage time, but Rodrygo and Sergio Arribas added gloss to the scoreline in the closing stages, as the European Cup holders won 4-1 to set up a final with Al-Hilal.
Al Ahly, who qualified for the competition due to their position as runners-up in the 2021-22 CAF Champions League, are actually competing in the Club World Cup for the eighth time in their history.
Marcel Koller's team will be determined to finish the tournament on a positive note before switching their attention back to domestic matters, and they are currently top of Egypt's Premier League, boasting 37 points from their opening 15 matches of the campaign.
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Flamengo, meanwhile, secured their spot in the semi-finals of this competition courtesy of their triumph in the 2022 Copa Libertadores.
The Brazilian outfit are competing in the Club World Cup for just the second time in their history, and they would have fancied their chances of overcoming Al-Hilal to reach the final.
However, Vitor Pereira's side were 1-0 down inside the first four minutes and then trailed 3-1 in the 70th minute, with Pedro's second of the match late on only proving to be a consolation.
Flamengo will therefore take on Al Ahly to determine which team finishes third, and they will then switch their attention back to domestic matters, taking on Volta Redonda in the league on February 15.
The Brazilian side actually beat Al-Hilal in the semi-finals of the 2019 competition to set up a final with Liverpool, and they only lost 1-0 to the English giants following extra-time.
Team News
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Al Ahly have not reported any fresh injuries from their semi-final contest with Real Madrid, although head coach Koller will need to assess the fitness of his players before making a final decision on the XI.
Hamdi Fathi and Taher Mohamed are among those pushing for spots in the side, having featured off the bench against Ancelotti's side in the semi-final.
However, it could ultimately be the same XI that took to the field against Los Blancos, with Mohamed Sherif, who has scored six times in 19 appearances this season, leading the line for the Egyptian outfit.
As for Flamengo, Gerson will be suspended due to the red card that he picked up in the semi-finals.
Gerson's position in the middle of the park is expected to be taken by the experienced Arturo Vidal, while 35-year-old David Luiz should again line up at the back for the Brazilian outfit.
Pedro scored twice against Al-Hilal and should be joined by Gabriel Barbosa in the final third of the field, with Everton, Fabricio Bruno and Erick Pulgar likely to again be among the substitutes for the first whistle.
Al Ahly possible starting lineup:
El Shenawy; Hany, Metwalli, Abdelmonem, Maaloul; El Sharat, El Soleya, Dieng, Radwan; Kaisha; Sherif
Flamengo possible starting lineup:
Santos; Matheuzinho, Luiz, Pereira, Lucas; Maia, Vidal; Ribeiro, De Arrascaeta; Pedro, Barbosa
We say: Al Ahly 1-2 Flamengo
Flamengo would have expected to have been in the final due to the strength of their side, and it will be interesting to see what type of reaction there is from the Brazilian side here. Al Ahly deserve a lot of respect, and this should be a close match, but we are backing Flamengo to secure the victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
