Sergej Milinkovic-Savic bids to extend remarkable Al Hilal scoring start against Al Shabab

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has made the best goalscoring start of his Al Hilal career and will have the opportunity to extend that run when his side face Al Shabab on Friday in matchweek five of the Roshn Saudi League.

The Serbia midfielder has scored in each of Al Hilal’s first three matches this season, establishing a new personal best since joining the club. One more goal against Al Shabab would see him find the net in four consecutive games for the first time during his time with Al Hilal.

That prospect underlines the attacking form Milinkovic-Savic is currently enjoying. Although his main role is in midfield, he has increasingly become an important part of Al Hilal’s threat in the final third, regularly moving into the penalty area to support attacks.

His height and physical strength also make him a significant target from crosses and set-pieces. Those qualities have helped him develop into one of the most influential attacking players in the Al Hilal system, rather than limiting his contribution to his responsibilities in the centre of the pitch.

Milinkovic-Savic has an additional reason to feel confident before Friday’s meeting. Al Shabab are the club he has scored against most often since moving to Saudi football, with four goals in his previous matches against them.

That record gives the midfielder a strong psychological advantage ahead of the derby. It also adds further interest to his attempt to continue a scoring sequence that has already produced his most productive opening to a season in an Al Hilal shirt.

His latest goal came in Al Hilal’s most recent match, a 3-0 victory over Al Ahli. It was one of the midfielder’s strongest performances for the club, as he made a major contribution to the win and put his team ahead after only nine minutes.

The early strike set Al Hilal on course for a convincing result and further highlighted Milinkovic-Savic’s ability to influence matches from midfield. His current run has also made him one of the main attacking talking points before the meeting with Al Shabab.

Victory over Al Shabab would give Milinkovic-Savic the chance to mark his excellent start with another significant personal achievement. A goal would take his sequence to four successive matches and reinforce his growing importance to Al Hilal’s attacking approach.

Al Hilal will therefore look to the Serbia international not only for his work in midfield, but also for the presence he provides inside the penalty area. With three consecutive matches already featuring a goal from Milinkovic-Savic, Al Shabab face a player who has become a consistent threat at the beginning of the new campaign.