A tense meeting between Roshn Saudi League contenders ended without a winner after more than 90 minutes of drama, including a ruled-out strike and a dismissal deep into stoppage time.
A tense meeting between Roshn Saudi League contenders ended without a winner after more than 90 minutes of drama, including a ruled-out strike and a dismissal deep into stoppage time.
Al Hilal centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly admitted caution shaped the contest, saying neither side was prepared to risk defeat in Monday night’s stalemate with Al Ahli.
The point proved valuable for Al Hilal, who climbed back to first place in the standings and now sit one point clear of Al Nassr, despite recording a third consecutive draw.
Al Ahli, meanwhile, saw their impressive eight-game winning run halted at Kingdom Arena and remain third, three points off the summit.
Fourth-placed Al Qadsiah could close the gap on Tuesday, with the opportunity to move within four points of the leaders.
The draw carried extra significance for Koulibaly, who returned to Al Hilal’s starting XI after helping Senegal lift the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and delivered a Man of the Match performance.
A major focus of his display was neutralising Ivan Toney, the league’s January Player of the Month and the leading scorer in the 2025–26 season.
Toney had netted 13 times across his previous eight league outings and had scored twice against Al Hilal in September, making the clean sheet a source of pride for the Senegal international.
Koulibaly revealed head coach Simone Inzaghi had been unhappy with that earlier encounter, motivating him to prove his value and demonstrate his readiness to contribute after returning from international duty.
Despite recent draws, the defender insisted there was no cause for alarm, stressing that Al Hilal remains capable of winning every remaining match and is fully committed to delivering the title for their supporters.
On the opposite side, Al Ahli defender Roger Ibanez felt his team missed a major opportunity to draw level with Al Hilal at the top of the table.
The Brazilian pointed to his own missed header from close range, an effort he would usually expect to convert.
Even so, Ibanez chose not to dwell on the setback, emphasising that the season still has a long way to run and that strong opponents lie ahead.
He added that maintaining their current level would keep Al Ahli firmly in the championship conversation, underlining the squad’s ambition to finish at the top.
