Al-Hilal rocked by Yassine Bounou injury and defensive errors against Neom

Al-Hilal were dealt a major blow before kick-off against Neom when goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was injured during the warm-up, forcing manager Simone Inzaghi to make a late change and bring in Saudi international Mohammed Al-Owais.

The disruption quickly turned into a difficult first half for Al-Hilal, with Al-Owais struggling to settle and the visitors’ defence unable to cope with Neom’s pressure. Neom took advantage of the uncertainty to establish a two-goal lead before the interval.

The opening goal arrived in the 15th minute, when Al-Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly headed into his own net. The mistake gave Neom an early advantage and placed Al-Owais under pressure almost immediately after replacing Bounou.

The own goal came as Al-Hilal attempted to recover from the unexpected loss of their Morocco goalkeeper. Instead, the setback made Inzaghi’s task more complicated, with his side behind against a Neom team that had started the match confidently.

A second defensive error allowed Neom to extend their lead shortly before half-time. In the 44th minute, Al-Owais came too far out of his goal and failed to deal with the situation. The ball subsequently reached the Neom penalty area amid further confusion in the Al-Hilal defence, allowing Amadou Kone to score.

The sequence of incidents turned Bounou’s late withdrawal into a serious problem for Al-Hilal. Al-Owais was unable to provide the replacement they needed, while Koulibaly and the rest of the defence contributed to Neom’s commanding position.

The result also placed Al-Hilal against a statistic that suggested a difficult route back into the game. Opta reported that Neom had won all three of the matches in which they scored first during the opening five rounds of the Roshn Saudi League this season.

With Neom leading 2-0, that record represented a significant challenge for Al-Hilal. Neom had shown during the early weeks of the campaign that they were capable of protecting an advantage once they opened the scoring.

Al-Hilal had entered the sixth round with a perfect record, having won each of their first five matches and collected 15 points. However, Bounou’s injury and a series of individual mistakes transformed the meeting with Neom into a demanding test for Inzaghi’s side.

Bounou’s injury occurred before the match had begun, leaving Al-Hilal with little time to adjust. The late introduction of Al-Owais was followed by Koulibaly’s own goal and then a mistake from the substitute goalkeeper, giving Neom the initiative and leaving the league leaders facing a substantial deficit before half-time.