Simone Inzaghi says Al Hilal defeat by Neom will keep him awake

Simone Inzaghi said Al Hilal’s shock 2-0 defeat by Neom will “deprive me of sleep” after suffering his first loss in Saudi Arabia since taking charge of the club.

The result came in Monday evening’s Roshn Saudi League meeting between the two sides and ended Inzaghi’s unbeaten start as Al Hilal manager. Neom, who were promoted to the division recently, secured a notable victory over one of the leading contenders for the title.

Al Hilal remain top of the table on 15 points, but Neom moved on to 12 points and are now level with Al Qadsiah and Al Nassr in second place.

Speaking at his post-match news conference, Inzaghi accepted full responsibility for the defeat despite believing his side had created enough opportunities to change the outcome.

“We created five chances in the first half but were unable to take them. The Neom goalkeeper also made an excellent save from Kanno’s chance in the second half,” he said.

“I repeat that I take full responsibility for the defeat. Losses like this bring the players back to reality.”

The Italian added that Al Hilal’s position at the top of the league did not lessen the disappointment, but said he would not blame his players for the result.

“It is true that the management have done a great job, but we are still top of the table. I do not blame the players. I am responsible for this painful defeat, which will deprive me of sleep,” said Inzaghi.

Neom scored twice during a difficult first half for the visitors. Inzaghi said the goals came after mistakes that Al Hilal must address, including an error that led to the opening goal and poor defensive coverage for the second.

“The two goals we conceded came from mistakes. The first was scored into our own net, while the second also followed some errors in our defensive coverage,” he said.

“We will continue working to improve the way we deal with these situations.”

Al Hilal responded more forcefully after the interval, but were unable to find a way past the Neom defence and goalkeeper.

“We were frustrated by the defeat. We are top of the table and did not want to lose,” Inzaghi said. “This is my first defeat in Saudi Arabia since I arrived, but all we can do now is learn from it.”

He added: “We did not perform as required in the first half and conceded two goals. In the second half we came out strongly, but we were unlucky not to score. The players gave everything they could.”

The defeat was Inzaghi’s first as Al Hilal manager. The former Italian coach had maintained an unbeaten record in his previous matches in charge before Neom delivered a significant setback in the sixth round of the Roshn Saudi League.