Kalidou Koulibaly has delivered a candid assessment of Al-Hilal’s performance despite their comfortable victory over Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League.
Al-Hilal secured a 2-0 win against Al-Ettifaq on Friday at the Kingdom Arena in a Week 22 fixture of the Saudi Pro League, continuing their strong run in the competition.
However, the Senegalese defender was quick to highlight areas where his side fell short, particularly after the break.
Speaking to Eight Channels after the match, Koulibaly admitted the challenge posed by their opponents, saying, “It was a tough match against a good team like Al-Ettifaq.”
He explained, “We wanted to win the match, and we could have performed better in the second half, but the most important thing is to win, make the fans happy, and continue our winning streak.”
Koulibaly acknowledged that Al-Hilal’s fast start played a key role in easing pressure on the team.
“The early goals helped us a lot, because when we scored the goal we played with less pressure. We wanted to impose our style and play our way, and the goal made the match a little easier,” he said.
Despite the solid scoreline, the former Chelsea defender felt the second-half display left room for improvement.
“But in the second half, we could have been better, because they created some chances, and if they had scored, the game would have changed,” he added.
He also stressed the importance of defensive discipline, noting, “Keeping a clean sheet is extremely important for us, because we know that if we don’t concede goals we can always win, as our strikers are capable of scoring at any time.”
Koulibaly also touched on his contract extension with Al-Hilal, which will see him remain at the club until the end of next season after renewing his deal shortly before the match.
“I am happy to stay with my brothers, the team, the management, and the fans. This is a special day for me. I am very happy, and I will continue to fight for them,” he concluded.
