Fluminense reached the Club World Cup quarter-finals with a stunning 2–0 win over Inter Milan as German Cano's early goal and substitute Hercules' stoppage-time strike toppled the Champions League runners-up in sweltering heat on Monday.
Coach Renato's decision to line up a three-man defense paid off, catching Inter off guard and leaving the 2023 Copa Libertadores champions largely untroubled throughout the match.
"I put it in their heads that it would work. Inter is a great team. They have much more money than us, but on the field it's 11 against 11," Renato told DAZN.
"The team believed, fought, and stayed focused for the 90 minutes."
Fluminense struck after three minutes when Cano pounced on a deflected cross and headed in from close range, putting the ball through goalkeeper Yann Sommer's legs for a dream start.
Inter dominated possession, but Fluminense created the better chances, with Colombian forward Jhon Arias causing all sorts of trouble for the Italian side's defense and Sommer.
Ignacio thought he had doubled their lead in the 39th minute as he nodded in from close range after a series of headers in the box, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
The Italians pushed for an equalizer after the break but were frustrated by a well-organized defense, while Stefan de Vrij missed a glorious chance after Lautaro Martinez set him up in the six-yard box after 69 minutes.
The 44-year-old Fluminense keeper Fabio also had a stellar performance, pulling off some key saves including denying substitute Sebastiano Esposito with his feet before Martinez struck the post late on.
Hercules sealed the win for Fluminense three minutes into added time, calmly slotting home from the edge of the box to send the Brazilians through to a last-eight clash with either Manchester City or Al Hilal on Friday in Orlando.
"The coach told us it was going to be a very difficult game, we knew that," midfielder Hercules said. "But we were very focused on the game, that's what we work for. And that's it. The result is there."
