Sergej Milinkovic-Savic gives Al-Hilal perfect start against Al-Fayha

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored his first goal of the season as Al-Hilal ended Al-Fayha’s resistance in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday, putting the visitors ahead in their second-round meeting.

The Serbia international struck in the 31st minute after Al-Hilal forward Crysencio Summerville saw a powerful effort saved by Al-Fayha goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera. The ball rebounded into the penalty area and fell to Milinkovic-Savic, who reacted quickest to fire the follow-up into the net.

The goal gave Al-Hilal the lead away from home and marked the club’s first goal of the current campaign. It also underlined the midfielder’s ability to make an impact in the final third despite his primary role at the heart of the team’s midfield.

Milinkovic-Savic’s finish carried additional significance because it continued his notable scoring record against Al-Fayha. The goal took his total against the club to three since he arrived in the Roshn Saudi League.

That figure means Al-Fayha have now conceded as many goals to the Al-Hilal midfielder as Al-Nassr, making them joint-second among Saudi clubs for the number of goals they have allowed him to score. Only one other Saudi club has conceded more goals to Milinkovic-Savic.

The Serbian’s positioning inside the box proved decisive. After Mosquera had denied Summerville, Milinkovic-Savic remained alert to the loose ball and finished first time, converting a promising attack into an early advantage for Al-Hilal.

His goal therefore combined an important contribution in the match with another milestone in his personal record against Al-Fayha. It offered Al-Hilal an ideal start to the second round of the league and gave Milinkovic-Savic an early opportunity to demonstrate his influence near the opposition goal.

The midfielder arrived at the right moment to open his account for the season, ensuring the effort was not only Al-Hilal’s first of the campaign but also another example of his threat when he moves forward from midfield.

The strike was celebrated as the opening goal of the match, with footage captioned: “Goal! ⚽️ Savic opens the scoring and scores Al-Hilal’s first goal against Al-Fayha 🔵🔥”.