RIYADH: The Saudi Pro League returned on Tuesday after the AFC Champions League break for what could be one of the most intriguing run-ins of recent years.
Al-Hilal faced Damac at home on matchday 29, hoping to narrow the gap on league leaders Al-Nassr, who play on Wednesday. In the end, the Blues secured a narrow but crucial 1-0 victory in a match that left much to be desired from an attacking football point of view.
The pain of a penalty shoot-out defeat at the hands of Al-Sadd two weeks ago in the Champions League round of 16 seemed to be lingering for Al-Hilal ahead of their return to league action.
While the team have not been defeated in open play under head coach Simone Inzaghi since their FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final loss to Fluminense last July, fans have nevertheless begun to express dissatisfaction with the team’s performances under the Italian.
Al-Hilal did deliver a stronger performance at Kingdom Arena against Damac, largely thanks to the positioning of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as a supporting striker alongside Karim Benzema. The Frenchman drifted into the channels, which allowed his Serbian teammate to break into the box, a strategy that created the bulk of Al-Hilal’s early chances.
In the seventh minute, Milinkovic-Savic got on the end of a cross from the left flank only for his shot to bounce over the crossbar. Minutes later, he met another cross, from Theo Hernandez, and sent the ball towards goal but keeper Kewin managed to tip it over.
The Serbian’s breakthrough came on his third attempt, when he headed home another Hernandez cross in the 18th minute to give the hosts the lead.
Meanwhile Damac, who have enjoyed a resurgence since the arrival of manager Fabio Carille in February, struggled to create much in attack. In the 57th minute, though, a long ball found Valentin Vada with clear sight of the net, but the Argentinian appeared to be clipped by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou as he moved toward goal. The referee, however, waved away the calls for a penalty.
The second half continued at a slower pace, with Al-Hilal dropping deeper to prevent Damac from exploiting any space behind the defense, and the visitors ultimately failed to create enough to seriously threaten the hosts. A late free-kick did at least challenge Al-Hilal’s lead but Bounou held firm to save the resultant header.
The result leaves Al-Hilal on 71 points in second place, five behind Al-Nassr. The teams will meet at Alawwal Park in the Capital Derby on May 12.
Elsewhere in the Pro League, Al-Shabab and Al-Fateh shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw, Neom and Al-Hazem also drew 1-1, and Al-Khaleej cruised to a 3-1 victory over Al-Najma, with Joshua King netting a brace.
On Wednesday, in one of the most anticipated remaining fixtures, Al-Nassr will host third-place Al-Ahli in a match that could either eliminate one of the league leaders’ closest challengers from the title race or move them firmly into contention. The game kicks off in Riyadh at 9 p.m.
