Neom defeat leaves Simone Inzaghi facing key questions at Al Hilal

Neom’s 2-0 victory over Al Hilal has ended Simone Inzaghi’s remarkable unbeaten run and raised serious questions about whether the Italian can turn his squad’s depth into consistent attacking solutions.

The shock result came on Monday in the sixth round of the Saudi Pro League, handing Al Hilal their first major setback of the season and giving Neom one of the biggest wins in the club’s history. Despite the defeat, Al Hilal remain top of the table with 15 points, although Al Qadsiah have moved level with them after beating Al Ahli 3-2.

Al Hilal dominated possession, holding 63% of the ball compared with Neom’s 37%, according to SofaScore. That control, however, did not translate into meaningful chances. Neom were better at dictating the tempo and managing the key details of the match, according to journalist Haitham Al-Zahem in a report for Asharq Al-Awsat.

The home side’s performance prompted criticism from Al Hilal supporters that went beyond the scoreline. The team appeared unsettled from the opening whistle, while Neom’s players displayed greater concentration and discipline. They maintained their authority in both defensive and attacking phases throughout the 90 minutes.

Neom also looked more coherent in possession and when retreating into their defensive shape. Al Hilal struggled to create space or find a way through their opponents’ organised back line, meaning their superior possession did not reflect what happened on the pitch.

The statistics underlined the scale of Al Hilal’s attacking problems. They created only one clear-cut chance against Neom, their lowest total in the club’s opening six league matches this season.

Al Hilal had produced four clear chances against Al Faisaly, seven against Al Khaleej, 11 against Al Fayha, four against Al Ahli and seven against Al Shabab before their record fell to just one against Neom.

That sharp decline reinforced the impression that Al Hilal could not find the space needed to threaten goal. Neom, by contrast, kept their defensive structure intact until the final whistle.

The defeat also brought an end to a long unbeaten sequence under Inzaghi. Since taking charge of Al Hilal at last season’s FIFA Club World Cup, the Italian had overseen 54 consecutive matches without defeat in all competitions, recording 42 wins and 12 draws.

Neom also ended Al Hilal’s 47-match unbeaten run in the Saudi Pro League. Their previous league defeat had come against Al Nassr, who won 3-1 in the season before last.

The loss came after Al Hilal had started the campaign with high expectations, particularly following the additions made by the club’s management during the summer transfer window. Those moves gave Inzaghi a large number of options across his squad.

But the Neom result has placed the central issue of his tenure under renewed scrutiny: can he turn that abundance of individual talent into a team with different ways of playing and a clear personality when opponents close down the available space?

Inzaghi said he accepted responsibility for the defeat. The more important verdict, though, will come in Al Hilal’s next matches, when they face further opponents capable of reproducing Neom’s disciplined approach.