Sports Mole previews Friday’s Club World Cup quarter-final between Fluminense and Al-Hilal, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.Having both knocked out European heavyweights to make the final eight, Fluminense and Al-Hilal will clash in the Club World Cup quarter-finals on Friday.Rio meets Riyadh as the two teams convene in Orlando, with a semi-final tie against either Palmeiras or Chelsea at stake.Match previewAdding another layer of pain to Inter Milan’s mid-year crisis, Fluminense stunned their Italian counterparts in Monday’s last-16 contest, putting on a tactical masterclass allied with relentless running.Inter clearly struggled to deal with Flu’s intensity in the opening stages, and Renato Gaucho’s side were richly rewarded when veteran striker German Cano nodded home from close range inside three minutes.While the Nerazzurri patiently pressed for an equaliser, with Lautaro Martinez striking the post and forcing 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio into a fine save, the Brazilians stood firm and could even celebrate a late second goal, as Hercules struck to spark scenes of celebration in Charlotte – and back home in Rio.Notably, half of Fluminense’s six goals in the USA have arrived after the 75th minute, and a defence led by Thiago Silva are yet to concede a single second-half goal, so upcoming opponents cannot afford to fall behind.Flu had previously progressed to the knockout phase as Group F runners-up, sandwiching a 4-2 win over Ulsan HD with two 0-0 draws, and after felling European giants earlier this week, the 2023 Copa Libertadores winners are still flying the flag for South American football.Tough to beat, the Tricolor are now undefeated in 10 matches across all competitions – keeping clean sheets in five of the last six – so they will surely fancy their chances of proceeding to the final four.Though they have never played Fluminense, Friday’s game marks the fifth meeting between Brazilian and Saudi Arabian teams at the Club World Cup, with Al-Hilal involved in two of the previous four.The Riyadh club lost to Flamengo in the 2019 semi-finals, before gaining sweet revenge at the same stage three years later, and they will now meet Fla’s bitter city rivals.Simone Inzaghi’s side have already defied the odds to get this far, becoming the first Asian team to defeat UEFA opponents in the Club World Cup’s 25-year history as they dumped out Manchester City in the last 16.Despite conceding 30 shots and being deprived of possession, Al-Hilal created plenty of chances in an epic seven-goal contest with Pep Guardiola’s men while scoring with four of their six attempts on target.City entered the interval with a 1-0 lead, but two goals in the first six minutes after half time turned the game around; an Erling Haaland leveller then meant the tie would go to extra time, where Kalidou Koulibaly and ex-Santos striker Marcos Leonardo added two more for the Blue Waves.Al-Hilal – who have actually registered more goals scored by Brazilians at this tournament than Fluminense – may be outsiders, but an expensively assembled squad now expects to prolong their stay in the United States.Unbeaten in nine matches dating back to May, the four-time AFC champions have already seen off City and held mighty Real Madrid in the group stage, so there is no reason to fear anyone at this Club World Cup.Fluminense Club World Cup form: D W D WFluminense form (all competitions): W W D W D W Al-Hilal Club World Cup form: D D W WAl-Hilal form (all competitions): D W D D W WTeam NewsTo counteract Inter’s trademark 3-5-2 formation, Fluminense coach Renato Gaucho switched to a back three last time out, with 40-year-old captain Thiago Silva being flanked by Juan Pablo Freytes and Ignacio.It remains to be seen whether he takes such a cautious approach on Friday, when German Cano and attacking talisman Jhon Arias should again lead Flu’s front line.The latter has tops his team’s stats for most shots (13), chances (12), dribbles completed (nine) and possession won (17), so the likes of Agustin Canobbio and recent signing Yefferson Soteldo will surely have to settle for a place on the bench.Al-Hilal’s attack may be missing injured striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, but they still have a golden boot contender in Marcos Leonardo, who has scored three goals so far.Simone Inzaghi also lost his skipper to a hamstring injury during the group phase: Salem Al-Dawsari not only netted Saudi Arabia’s famous winner against Argentina at Qatar ’22 but also scored twice in the 2023 CWC semi-final victory over Flu’s old foes Flamengo.Furthermore, Abdullah Al-Hamddan (calf) and Mosab Al-Juwair (knee) are both doubts, while key defender Hassan Tambakti is still struggling to recover from the knock that saw him miss Monday’s game.Focus inevitably falls on their abundance of talent up front, but the Blue Waves often rely on Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Also known as ‘Bono’, the ex-Sevilla stopper has saved 85% of shots on target faced so far, including 10 of 13 against Man City.Fluminense possible starting lineup: Fabio; Ignacio, Silva, Freytes; Xavier, Hercules, Martinelli, Rene; Nonato; Arias, CanoAl-Hilal possible starting lineup: Bono; Cancelo, Tambakti, Koulibaly, Lodi; Neves, Kanno; Malcom, Milinkovic-Savic, N. Al-Dawsari; LeonardoWe say: Fluminense 1-0 Al-HilalOrganised, resilient, and clinical in the closing stages, Fluminense have shown the makings of a side that can go deep into this Club World Cup.While Al-Hilal possess more flair, going to extra time on Monday will have cost them precious energy – and that may just prove the difference between two well-matched teams.For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here. 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