Inter Miami FC and Egypt’s Al Ahly FC battled to a goalless draw in their opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday night in Miami Gardens, Florida. The match ended 0-0, with both teams earning a point in Group A, which also includes FC Porto from Portugal and Brazil’s Palmeiras.
The game saw plenty of drama, especially in the final minutes. Inter Miami nearly snatched a late winner during stoppage time, but Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy made a brilliant save to deny Lionel Messi’s high-arching shot, tipping it onto the crossbar and out.
Al Ahly had dominated the first half, creating multiple scoring opportunities, while Inter Miami came alive in the second half and piled on pressure during stoppage time, especially with three corner kicks in quick succession.
Messi came close to scoring in the 64th minute with a curling free kick that skipped just wide, fooling many fans into thinking it was a goal. Another good chance came in the 85th minute when Messi floated a pass to Fafa Picault, whose header bounced off the turf and just over the bar.
The Egyptian side’s best chance came in the 43rd minute when Trezeguet took a penalty, only to be denied by a fantastic save from Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, who guessed correctly and dived to his left.
Messi had another powerful shot saved in the 57th minute, with El Shenawy once again stepping up for Al Ahly.
Inter Miami’s next match is scheduled for Thursday against FC Porto in Atlanta, while Al Ahly will face Palmeiras the same day in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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