Demiral at centre of Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli melee as Saudi Clasico turns heated

Merih Demiral was at the centre of a heated confrontation as Al-Ahli’s Saudi Pro League meeting with rivals Al-Hilal descended into a late first-half melee at Kingdom Arena on Tuesday.

The match was being played as a rearranged fixture from the third round of the Roshn Saudi League, with Al-Hilal hosting Al-Ahli.

Tempers flared in the third minute of added time at the end of the opening half after a forceful challenge involving Al-Hilal full-back Mohammed Mahzari and Al-Ahli forward Ivan Toney.

Mahzari went in strongly on the England international, who fell to the ground claiming he had been struck. Toney was shown a yellow card in the aftermath of the challenge.

Demiral then approached Mahzari and pulled him by the shirt as the Al-Hilal defender was on the ground. That action provoked a response from Al-Hilal’s players, who moved towards the Turkey defender and became involved in the confrontation.

Players from Al-Ahli also joined the incident as the dispute spread between the two groups. The referee eventually showed Demiral a yellow card for his involvement.

Members of the Al-Ahli coaching staff protested against the decision. The referee then sent off one member of the club’s technical staff, adding to the tension around the touchline and the players involved in the confrontation.

Demiral’s afternoon became even more problematic moments later. Before the half-time whistle, he received a second yellow card for a strong challenge on Al-Hilal winger Crysencio Summerville.

The dismissal meant Al-Ahli had to play the entire second half with 10 men. Demiral’s sending-off followed his involvement in another high-profile dispute against Al-Nassr during the second half of last season’s Roshn Saudi League campaign.

He was suspended for one match over that previous incident and fined 165,000 Saudi riyals.

The latest confrontation added to the intensity of a fixture between two of Saudi Arabia’s leading clubs. The sequence of events began with the challenge on Toney, escalated when Demiral pulled Mahzari’s shirt, and ended with the Al-Ahli defender receiving two yellow cards before the interval.

Footage showing the exchanges between the Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli players was circulated alongside the match coverage on social media, with the incident drawing attention because of Demiral’s previous clash with Al-Nassr.

Al-Ahli therefore entered the second half facing a numerical disadvantage, while Demiral was no longer available after his dismissal. The match at Kingdom Arena had already produced a major talking point before the break, with the Turkish defender once again involved in a controversial episode against one of Al-Ahli’s principal rivals.