RIYADH — Al Hilal continued their successful defense of their title, securing a spot in the quarterfinals of the King's Cup. They triumphed over Al-Hazm with a 3-0 victory in the match held at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on Monday, part of the Round of 16 in the tournament. Portuguese player Robin Neves and Serbian Aleksandar Mitrović took turns scoring the goals, with Mitrović netting two. Al Hilal's coach, Jorge Jesus, opted for a starting lineup that excluded the Serbian duo Savic and Mitrović, along with the absence of Salem Al-Dawsari, Senegalese Khaledou Koulibaly, and several other key local players to give them some rest. Meanwhile, Salem Al-Dawsari found himself in Doha, competing for the title of the best player in Asia during the awards ceremony scheduled for Tuesday evening. Despite the delayed goals until the second half, Al Hilal had no difficulty overcoming their guest, Al-Hazem. The first goal for the blue team came from the Portuguese Robin Neves through a penalty announced by the referee in favor of Brazilian Malcom. Then substitute Mitrović strengthened Al Hilal's lead with a second goal in the 67th minute before adding his second and the team's third through another penalty in the 83rd minute.
