Al-Hilal overcomes Kalidou Koulibaly red card to defeat Al-Shabab

Al-Hilal secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Al-Shabab on Saturday despite playing with ten men for more than half the match following Kalidou Koulibaly’s dismissal in the 44th minute. The win helps Al-Hilal maintain pressure in the Saudi Pro League title race, remaining two points behind leaders Al-Ittihad.

Sergej Milinković-Savić was the star for Al-Hilal, scoring twice in the first half.

His opener in the 14th minute followed an early goal by Al-Shabab’s Abdelrazak Hamdallah in the 6th.

Koulibaly’s red card, for halting Hamdallah in a potential goal-scoring opportunity, left Al-Hilal vulnerable, but their defense held firm to preserve the win.

The victory comes after a challenging week for Al-Hilal, which included a 3-2 league loss to Al-Khaleej and a 1-1 Champions League draw against Al-Sadd.

Despite these setbacks, Jorge Jesus’ side showed resilience, emerging victorious in a crucial match to keep their title hopes alive.

This result highlights Milinković-Savić’s growing importance to the squad and Al-Hilal’s ability to grind out results under pressure, even in adverse circumstances.