Al Hilal: Kalidou Koulibaly's defensive masterclass against Man City by the numbers

On Monday night into Tuesday, Manchester City faced Al Hilal in the Club World Cup round of 16. The Saudi club managed to knock out the Sky Blues, thanks in large part to Kalidou Koulibaly’s decisive goal. The Senegalese defender was simply imperious at the back.

Like it or not, Kalidou Koulibaly has already left his mark on this Club World Cup. Scoring against Manchester City, the Senegalese defender delivered a rock-solid performance that helped his team clinch a 4-3 victory.

Koulibaly put on a stellar display. By the numbers: he won 9 out of 11 duels, made 4 successful tackles, and cleared the ball 11 times. On top of that, he showed tremendous composure when building from the back. Simply put, the Senegalese international managed to contain the Citizens’ attacks while instilling confidence in his teammates.

Al Hilal’s qualification for the quarter-finals wasn't just down to Yassine Bounou, but also to the masterclass delivered by the 2022 African champion.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.