Porto and Al-Ahly play an insane game, draw 4-4 and say goodbye to the Club World Cup

With remote chances of qualifying, Porto and Al-Ahly played a breathtaking match this Monday in New Jersey, in the third round of Group A of the Club World Cup . The 4-4 draw reflected not only the offensive volume of both teams, but also their commitment until the final minutes in one of the most exciting games of the tournament. On the Portuguese side, Brazilians William Gomes and Pepê scored. Abou Ali was the star Egyptian, with three goals.

With this result, both Porto and Al-Ahly are out of the World Cup without a win. Both teams ended the group stage with two points, not enough to advance to the round of 16. Group A was led by Palmeiras with five points, followed by Inter Miami, also with five points, but behind on the tiebreaker criteria.

The first half was marked by intensity and efficiency from the Egyptian team. With high marking and an aggressive stance, Al-Ahly opened the scoring after just 14 minutes, when Fathy disarmed Nico González in midfield and found Abou Ali, who finished accurately into the corner. The initial pressure paid off and put the African team in the lead.

Porto responded well to the blow and found the equalizer in the 22nd minute. Rodrigo Mora, the Portuguese team's jewel, received the ball deep, dribbled past goalkeeper El Shenawy and scored with style. The scoreboard was momentarily balanced, but Al-Ahly continued to play better and managed to score again, with a goal disallowed for offside.

The African team controlled the spaces and imposed more rhythm. Before the break, another attack by Al-Ahly resulted in a penalty committed by Fábio Vieira on Zizo. Abou Ali took the penalty and scored his second of the match, putting the Egyptians back in the lead. The 2-1 at the end of the half reflected a more consistent and intense performance by Al-Ahly, against a Porto team that was vulnerable in its defense, as it was throughout the World Cup.

If the first half had been lively, the second was absolutely insane. Porto needed four minutes to equalize again, with William Gomes — who had come through the ranks at São Paulo — controlling the ball with ease and finishing accurately into the corner. Al-Ahly, however, didn't even give them time to celebrate. The following minute, Abou Ali completed a cross into the box and, alone, scored his third goal of the game, putting the Egyptians back in the lead at 3-2.

But the unpredictable scenario still had more in store. At seven minutes, another draw: a corner from Fábio Vieira and a precise header from Samu Aghehowa, in a succession of attacks that left the game wide open. The match became a duel of nerves and physicality, with both teams giving little importance to defensive containment and betting everything on the attack. Al-Ahly retook the lead on the scoreboard at 18 minutes, with a beautiful shot from Ben Romdhane, taking advantage of generous space given by the Portuguese defense.

Porto, already worn out, lost intensity after conceding the fourth goal and saw Al-Ahly create good chances to kill the game. The Egyptian team, however, wasted at least two clear opportunities. The punishment came in the 43rd minute: Pepê, ex- Grêmio , drove down the left flank, brought it inside and crossed the ball to score a great goal and decree the final tie at 4-4.