Al-Hilal Comeback Beats Al-Shabab 5-3 In Saudi Pro Leaguenewsline24

-myKhel Team

Al-Hilal produced a high-scoring derby comeback in the Saudi Pro League, beating Al-Shabab 5-3 away and moving level on points with second-placed Al-Nassr. Simone Inzaghi’s side twice trailed in an open contest but responded with ruthless attacking play, as Mohamed Kanno, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sultan Mandash and Marcos Leonardo all scored after an early Josh Brownhill opener.

The home side struck first at SHG Arena in the 13th minute, when Josh Brownhill found space near the penalty spot and steered Saad Yaslam’s cut-back into the bottom-right corner. Al-Hilal replied six minutes later, as Al-Shabab failed to clear a long throw and Mohamed Kanno crashed a controlled volley into the top-right corner from inside the area.

The first-half momentum then swung again with a costly misunderstanding in Al-Shabab’s defence. Ali Al Bulayhi diverted Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s cross past Marcelo Grohe, who had advanced to collect, turning the ball into an empty net. Al-Shabab responded on 44 minutes when Abderrazzaq Hamed-Allah spun sharply in the box and finished confidently, yet Al-Hilal restored their advantage three minutes later through Kalidou Koulibaly’s close-range rebound.

Koulibaly reacted first after Marcos Leonardo’s first-time shot was cleared off the line, nudging the ball over from near the six-yard area. Early in the second half, Al-Hilal stretched clear. Within seven minutes of the restart, Sultan Mandash thundered in a powerful strike that left Marcelo Grohe static, before Marcos Leonardo drove a low shot past the goalkeeper to make it 5-2 and give Inzaghi’s team firm control.

Al-Hilal continued to search for more goals, with Sultan Mandash striking the frame of the goal during another dangerous attack. Al-Shabab’s final response came from Yacine Adli, who curled a cross from the left that looped directly into the net. The late effort reduced the deficit to 5-3 but did not change the overall outcome, as Al-Hilal comfortably saw out the closing stages.

Chance creation was relatively balanced, with Al-Hilal recording 14 shots compared with 12 for Al-Shabab, and each side hitting the target seven times. Both teams finished above their expected goals figures of 0.84 for Al-Shabab and 1.76 for the visitors. The victory marked Al-Hilal’s third successive league win over their derby rivals, their longest such streak since a five-match run between 2015 and 2018.

This result also eased recent pressure on Simone Inzaghi, whose team had drawn the previous two Saudi Pro League fixtures and slipped in the standings. The win put Al-Hilal back on track in the title race and strengthened their position among the leading clubs, with the attack again showing depth through contributions from Kanno, Koulibaly, Mandash and Marcos Leonardo.

Elsewhere in the Saudi Pro League, Al-Ittihad also ended a poor spell with a narrow 1-0 victory over Al-Khaleej, climbing to fifth place. Danilo Pereira struck the decisive goal in the 52nd minute, settling a tight match. The result gave Al-Ittihad an important boost in their push for higher positions, complementing Al-Hilal’s successful evening.

Al-Hilal’s 5-3 success over Al-Shabab delivered an entertaining derby, restored momentum after two draws and improved Simone Inzaghi’s recent record against local rivals. With both teams creating and converting chances above expected levels, the match highlighted attacking strength across the league, while concurrent progress by Al-Ittihad underlined an increasingly competitive Saudi Pro League table.