RIYADH — Al-Hilal tightened its grip on the top spot in the Saudi Professional League, defeating its rival Al-Ahli 3-1 in a football spectacle filled with excitement. The match, held on Friday at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, witnessed a massive crowd of over 50,000 enthusiastic fans. Al-Hilal showcased an impressive performance in the highly anticipated clash of the 11th round of the Saudi Professional League. Al-Ahli proved to be a formidable opponent, coming close to equalizing the score multiple times in a match that lived up to its promises. The capital's blue team, Al-Hilal, reached 29 points, maintaining its lead in the standings. The Serbian player Sergej Milinković-Savić shone brightly, scoring the opening goal in the first minute. Meanwhile, Al-Ahli's winning streak came to a halt, leaving them with 22 points. Milinković-Savić, along with his compatriot Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Allan Saint-Maximin for Al-Ahli, contributed to the goal tally, with the third goal for Al-Hilal coming through an own goal by Roger Ibañez. Colored smoke delayed the kickoff as requested by the Argentine referee, Yael Falcon, due to poor visibility on the field. However, the delay did not dampen the excitement. Al-Hilal denied Al-Ahli the opportunity to catch their breath, with Milinković-Savić calmly converting a falling ball into a goal in the 47th second. French player Saint-Maximin, who had kept Al-Ahli fans on edge throughout the week with injury concerns, made a notable play, but Al-Hilal's goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, made a decisive move to cover the defensive lapse, prompting coach Jesus to express his displeasure on the sidelines. In the 17th minute, Al-Ahli was awarded a free-kick near the penalty area, taken by Riyad Mahrez, narrowly missing the left post defended by the Moroccan Yassine Bounou. In the 19th minute, Yasser Al-Shahrani's cross was met by the Brazilian Michael, whose header was saved by Mendy. The ball returned to the penalty area, and Salem Al-Dawsari's shot hit the crossbar without posing a real threat. Portuguese player Robin Neves saved Al-Hilal from a potential goal, denying a clear opportunity for the French player Maximin, who had been a constant threat with his unexpected moves. In the 26th minute, Malcolm fell inside the penalty area, leading the Argentine referee Yael Falcon to award a penalty to Al-Hilal. The Serbian Mitrovic stepped up, but the Senegalese goalkeeper Eduardo Mendy brilliantly saved the shot. Within minutes, Mitrovic redeemed himself, heading a cross from Saud Abdulhamid to score Al-Hilal's second goal in the 37th minute. Al-Ahli did not concede defeat, attempting to breach Yassine Bounou's goal on multiple occasions, but their efforts did not pose a real danger. Malcolm continued to trouble Al-Ahli's defense in the first half, earning a penalty and receiving yellow cards for Ibanez and Abdul Basset Hindi. Malcolm did not stop there, attempting a free-kick near the penalty area just moments before the end of the first half, but his shot hit the crossbar. The second half began with a clear desire from Al-Ahli to equalize. French player Maximin scored for his team after a precise pass from Riyad Mahrez, breaking Al-Hilal's clean sheet streak. The 58th minute saw Al-Ahli attempting to level the score, but their efforts were in vain. The French star Maximin was substituted by coach Matthias Jaissle due to his lack of readiness to continue the match. In the 79th minute, Eduardo Mendy, Al-Ahli's goalkeeper, saved his team from conceding a third goal after Salem Al-Dosari's solo attack towards Mitrovic. The Senegalese defender Khaledou Koulibaly also shone, clearing a chance for a goal from Al-Ahli. Moments later, when Al-Ahli was close to equalizing, an own goal by Ibanez, attempting to clear a cross from Saud Abdulhamid, disrupted Al-Ahli's comeback journey. The ball sailed past Mendy, finding the back of the net, securing a 3-1 victory for Al-Hilal.
