Al Hilal aim to avoid back-to-back defeats against Al Taawoun

Al Hilal will look to prevent a repeat of a run last seen almost five years ago when they visit Al Taawoun in the Saudi Roushen League on Saturday.

Jorge Jesus’ side suffered their first defeat of the season on Monday, losing 2-0 to Neom in the sixth round of the competition. They now face Al Taawoun at their opponents’ stadium in Buraidah in the seventh round.

The result against Neom has raised the prospect of Al Hilal losing consecutive league matches for the first time since December 2021.

That sequence began with a 2-0 defeat by local rivals Al Nassr. Al Hilal then lost their next league fixture, going down 3-2 away to Al Fateh.

Since those two defeats, the Riyadh club have avoided losing successive matches in the Saudi Roushen League. On the occasions when they have been beaten, their next match has produced either a win or a draw, with a draw representing their poorest outcome.

Al Hilal remain top of the league despite Monday’s setback, having collected 15 points from their opening six matches. They lead on goal difference from Al Nassr and Al Qadsiah, who occupy second and third place respectively.

The leaders will therefore attempt to respond immediately against Al Taawoun and maintain their position at the summit, while also avoiding a repeat of the two-match losing run that last affected them in 2021.