RIYADH — The second round of the Saudi Professional League witnessed gripping action as Al-Fayha secured a hard-fought 1-1 draw against host team Al-Hilal. Simultaneously, Abha managed to snatch a valuable 1-0 victory from Al-Raed, setting the stage for intense competition in the league. At the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, the match between Al-Hilal and Al-Fayha unfolded with a blend of skill and determination. Prior to the match, Al-Hilal introduced its new stars to the fans including Brazilian giant Neymar and Moroccan Yassine Bounou. They're expected to play in the next round of the league. In the 10th minute, Al-Hilal thought they had taken the lead with a goal from Michael Richard Delgado, but the referee disallowed it due to an offside call after a VAR review. It was the Zambian forward Fashion Sakala who struck first for Al-Fayha in the 15th minute. Receiving a pass inside the penalty area from teammate Gojko Cimirot, Sakala fired a shot to the left of Al-Hilal's goalkeeper, finding the back of the net. However, Al-Hilal quickly responded. Just five minutes later, Abdullah Al-Hamdan netted the equalizer after following up on a shot from Michael that was initially deflected by Al-Fayha's goalkeeper, Vladimir Stojković. In the 71st minute, Al-Hilal came close to securing victory when Robin Neves sent a long pass into the penalty area. Hussein Al-Shuwaish, Al-Fayha's defender, attempted to clear the ball, but it struck the crossbar and went out of play. With the draw, Al-Hilal added another point to their tally, bringing their total to four points, and claimed the fifth spot on the league table based on goal difference. Meanwhile, Al-Fayha, in sixth place, also hold four points, setting the stage for an intriguing contest as the League progresses.
