Neom stun Al Hilal to end perfect Roshn Saudi League start

Neom ended Al Hilal’s perfect start to the Roshn Saudi League season with a historic 2-0 victory on Monday, inflicting the leaders’ first defeat and giving Al Nassr a valuable opportunity to close the gap at the top of the table.

The result halted Al Hilal’s run of five successive league wins and left them on 15 points after six matches. Neom moved to 12 points with their fourth victory of the campaign, while Al Nassr began the round on the same total and can move within one point of the leaders if they beat Abha in their match on Wednesday.

Al Hilal suffered an unexpected setback before kick-off when goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was injured during the warm-up. Mohammed Al Owais replaced him, but the visitors struggled to impose themselves against a well-organised Neom defence.

Neom restricted the space available to Al Hilal’s attacking players and prevented them from creating the opportunities that have characterised their strong opening to the season. Most of Al Hilal’s attempts came from outside the penalty area and failed to seriously test the home side.

The opening goal arrived in the 15th minute. Kalidou Koulibaly inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, giving Neom the lead and immediately unsettling the league leaders.

Al Hilal attempted to respond, but they found Neom’s defensive structure difficult to break down. Sultan Mandash and Crysencio Summerville were unable to make the most of their opportunities as the visitors searched for an equaliser.

Neom then doubled their advantage just before half-time. Al Owais came out of his goal but failed to deal with the situation, allowing the ball to reach the penalty area. Neom capitalised on the defensive confusion and Amadou Kone finished to make it 2-0 in the 44th minute.

That left Al Hilal facing a difficult task after the interval, with head coach Simone Inzaghi making several changes in an attempt to improve his side’s attacking threat. Nasser Al-Dawsari, Sultan Mandash and Mohamed Kader Meite were introduced as Al Hilal tried to regain control of the match.

Gabriel Martinelli went close to pulling one back in the 50th minute, but he missed when through one-on-one with the Neom goalkeeper. Three minutes later, Ruben Neves sent an effort narrowly wide of the left post.

Neom goalkeeper Marcin Bulka played a key role in protecting his side’s lead. In the 65th minute, he produced an excellent save to deny a dangerous header from Ollie Watkins inside the penalty area. Bulka made further interventions during the second half as Al Hilal continued to look for a way back into the game.

Aside from those chances, Neom kept control and maintained their two-goal advantage until the final whistle.

The defeat is particularly significant for Al Hilal because it was the club’s first domestic loss since Inzaghi became manager at the beginning of last season. It also ended their ideal start to the current league campaign.

For Al Nassr, the result represents a major opportunity. They entered the round three points behind Al Hilal and can reduce that deficit to one point by taking all three points against Abha on Wednesday.