Al Ahly and Porto shared a 4-4 thriller in their final game at the Club World Cup on Monday, but both will head home after Inter Miami and Palmeiras drew to progress to the round of 16 from Group A.

Palestine striker Wessam Abou Ali scored a hat-trick, and Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane also found the net for the Egyptian champions, but Porto pegged them back every time they went ahead.

Teenagers Rodrigo Mora and William Gomes, substitute Samu Aghehowa and Pepe all scored for the Portuguese club as both teams all but abandoned defending in search of goals that might keep them alive in the tournament.

In the end, though, a draw was not enough for either side and the 2-2 stalemate between Inter and Palmeiras in Miami was enough to render all of the many other permutations null and void.

“I’m very sad, very, very sad,” said Abou Ali. “I feel like we should have scored maybe five, six goals in the end, the opportunity was there to at least win the game and score some goals.”

Both teams came into the match played in suffocating heat at Metlife Stadium without a goal from open play in the tournament but they made up for it in a sometimes frenetic contest.

Al Ahly took the early initiative and got their reward when Abou Ali gave them the lead in the 15th minute with a cool finish into the far corner of the net

Lively 18-year-old Mora equalised eight minutes later after skipping through the Al Ahly defence and past goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy before clipping the ball into the net.

Egypt midfielder Zizo was brought down in the box by Fabio Vieira running onto an Abou Ali cutback in stoppage time at the end of the first, and the Palestinian sent Claudio Ramos the wrong way from the spot to put Al Ahly 2-1 up at the break.

Three goals in three minutes soon after the break had the scores back level at 3-3 in the 53rd minute, Gomes starting it all off by curling a beautiful shot into the top right-hand corner of the net.

Abou Ali then completed his hat-trick with a powerful header from a corner but Aghehowa responded in kind almost immediately down the other end.

FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa reacts after the match REUTERS/Susana Vera

Ben Romdhane put Al Ahly back in front with a lovely strike from the edge of the box in the 64th minute and the Egyptian side poured forward looking to boost their goal difference in case the result in Miami went their way.

Al Ahly missed a host of gilt-edged chances, however, and Pepe ensured the honours would be shared when he drilled a shot from the edge of the box past Al Ahly captain El-Shenawy a minute from time.

“I think the game in the second half was not a normal football game anymore,” said Al Ahly coach Jose Riveiro.

“A good show for the fans, I guess, a lot of goals. Not the result, obviously, that we were looking for, because we wanted to go through.”

-Reuters

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Palmeiras rallied from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw against Inter Miami and qualify top of Group A for the Club World Cup last 16 on Monday, a result that sent both teams through to the knockout phase.

Goals from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez gave Miami a two-goal lead before Paulinho and Mauricio scored in the last 10 minutes to get Palmeiras back on level terms.

Both teams finished on five points with Inter Miami second on goal difference, while Al-Ahly and Porto were both eliminated after drawing 4-4.

Lionel Messi’s side will take on European champions Paris St Germain, where the Argentine spent two seasons from 2021-23, while Palmeiras face fierce rivals Botafogo in an all-Brazilian clash for a place in the quarter-finals.

“It was a great game from us, it’s difficult to play against one of the best teams in South America,” said Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano, who described it as a “historic night” for Major League Soccer.

“Maybe at the end we had the game in our hands so the feeling is strange but before the start of the tournament if someone told me we were going to have this kind of performance against these kind of teams I would have signed it.”

Inter Miami are the only team from MLS to reach the last 16 after both Los Angeles FC and the Seattle Sounders were eliminated.

With the crowd heavily favouring Palmeiras and creating an atmosphere that made it seem like an away game for hosts Miami, the Brazilian side started with intensity, pressing high up the pitch but despite their energy the final ball lacked precision.

Miami struck in the 16th minute when Allende surged past a static Palmeiras defence and coolly slotted home after a 40-metre run.

Allende came close again early in the second half, flashing a shot narrowly wide after another quick counterattack, before Messi brought fans to their feet with a dipping volley from distance that sailed just over.

Suarez, quiet for much of the game, made no mistake in the 65th minute as he cut onto his left foot and fired into the top corner from a tight angle to make it 2-0.

Palmeiras pulled one back 10 minutes from time through substitute Paulinho, who guided a low finish into the corner.

Seven minutes later Mauricio picked up a loose clearance and fired home from the penalty spot to make sure Palmeiras would keep top spot in the group.

-Reuters

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Inter Miami have no intention to play for a draw when they face Palmeiras in their final Group A game at the Club World Cup on Sunday, a result that would send both teams into the knockout stages.

It would be a massive achievement for Inter Miami, who beat Porto and drew against Al Ahly in their first two games.

Palmeiras are top of the group on four points, ahead of Miami on goal difference, with Porto and Al Ahly both on one point.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

All four teams can still qualify for the last 16 but only Miami and Palmeiras have their fate in their hands. Palmeiras need a draw to qualify top of the group.

The group winners will face the second-placed team in Group B, currently led by Botafogo with six points while Champions League winners Paris St Germain are second on three points.

KEY QUOTES:

Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano: “We’re facing possibly one of the most important games in the history of our club. Above all, let that fill us with enthusiasm to be able to play it, let it not be a burden, not a burden, but an excitement and a challenge for this group of players who are also doing well up until now.

“It would be a big mistake if we went into it thinking about not playing it and only about the result. I think that when you think about the result and don’t go into it, certain things can happen during the game that make it very difficult to get back into the game. In the end, our idea is to go and win the game like we’ve always done, like every time we go into a game, whether it’s in the Club World Cup, MLS, the Champions League, or any other competition we’re involved in.”

-Reuters

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