Al Hilal left Jeddah on Friday night with their mission accomplished — a commanding 2-0 triumph over Al Ittihad in the Roshn Saudi League. The visitors handled the pressure inside Alinma Stadium, where more than 46,500 supporters packed in to witness the first Saudi Clasico of the season.
Al Hilal left Jeddah on Friday night with their mission accomplished — a commanding 2-0 triumph over Al Ittihad in the Roshn Saudi League. The visitors handled the pressure inside Alinma Stadium, where more than 46,500 supporters packed in to witness the first Saudi Clasico of the season.
For Simone Inzaghi, it was a milestone win. The Italian coach, who had previously failed to defeat Sergio Conceicao in four encounters during their time in Milan, finally prevailed at the first attempt in Saudi Arabia. The result also marked Inzaghi’s maiden league success since arriving at Al Hilal.
Al Ittihad, the reigning champions, have now suffered consecutive home losses and extended their winless league run to three matches. For Conceicao and his squad, the start of their title defense has quickly turned into an uphill climb.
The visitors made their attacking intentions clear from the opening stages. Ten minutes in, Marcos Leonardo almost put Al Hilal ahead with a half-volley that cannoned off the post. The Brazilian, returning to domestic duty after Joao Cancelo’s injury, had already been on a fine scoring streak with four goals in two league outings.
Both Moussa Diaby and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic tested the hosts’ defense with free kicks, while Al Ittihad tried to respond through long-range efforts. But it was Al Hilal who found the breakthrough four minutes before halftime. Ruben Neves delivered a precise corner that Darwin Nunez flicked toward the near post, the ball deflecting off Mahamadou Doumbia and past goalkeeper Hamed Al Shanqiti for an own goal.
The unfortunate touch capped a difficult evening for Doumbia, making his full league debut following his summer move from Royal Antwerp. Nunez’s celebration, meanwhile, underlined Al Hilal’s growing confidence.
Al Hilal resumed the second half with the same intensity. Leonardo once again came close, only for defender Danilo Pereira to clear off the line with an acrobatic stretch. The relief for the home side was brief. Twelve minutes later, Al Shanqiti failed to hold a deflected strike from Neves, and Leonardo pounced on the rebound to double the advantage.
It was the Brazilian’s 22nd goal in 27 Roshn Saudi League appearances — one of his simplest finishes, but perhaps among the most important. From there, Al Ittihad struggled to muster a meaningful response. Karim Benzema sent a volley wide, while N’Golo Kante’s effort was blocked inside a crowded penalty area.
Nunez thought he had added a third when he latched onto Milinkovic-Savic’s through ball and finished smartly, only for the flag to rise for offside. The miss summed up the frustration of the home crowd, as Benzema later dragged another attempt past the post.
For Inzaghi and his players, the evening ended in satisfaction. Still undefeated after six league rounds, Al Hilal climbed to third place, just a single point behind Al Nassr — who are scheduled to play the following day at Al Hazem.
Three successive victories now highlight Al Hilal’s growing rhythm under their new manager. A disciplined defensive display, coupled with sharp finishing, ensured that the Riyadh giants left Jeddah with a statement win.
Al Hilal’s charge continues, and their Clasico success could be the spark for a serious title pursuit once more.
