Inzaghi hails Al Hilal’s commanding win over Al-Ahli

Simone Inzaghi praised Al Hilal’s performance after they beat Al-Ahli 3-0 in a rearranged Saudi Pro League classic on Tuesday, a result that returned his side to the top of the table.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic opened the scoring for Al Hilal in the ninth minute before Crysencio Summerville doubled their advantage in the 23rd minute. England striker Ollie Watkins completed the victory with a headed goal in the 86th minute.

The match was originally scheduled for the third round of the Saudi Pro League but was played later than planned. Al Hilal’s victory moved them above Al-Nassr on goal difference, with the three goals scored against Al-Ahli proving decisive.

It also ended Al-Nassr’s 16-round run at the top of the league. Al Hilal returned to first place for the first time since the 22nd round of last season.

“I am very happy and satisfied with the performance, and I congratulate the players. We played a great match against a strong opponent, and with our numerical advantage we could have scored the third goal earlier, but overall I am satisfied with the performance,” Inzaghi said in comments reported by Saudi newspaper Al Riyadiya.

Watkins, who joined from Aston Villa, made his first appearance for Al Hilal and marked his debut with the final goal of the match. Inzaghi said the forward had only trained with the squad twice before being involved.

“He trained with us twice, and he has started to integrate with the group,” said the Italian manager.

Inzaghi also highlighted the contributions of Sultan Mandash and Summerville, who both played important roles in the comprehensive win.

“He is having a wonderful season. We have many matches ahead of us, and we need all the players,” Inzaghi said of Mandash.

He added of Summerville: “Summerville is a player who is difficult to stop in one-on-one situations, and he also adds a lot of attacking danger. He performed brilliantly alongside Mandash.”

The Al Hilal manager was keen to stress that the result had been achieved collectively rather than through the efforts of only one or two players.

“We are working together as a group. We cannot attribute the win to only one or two players; instead, we thank all the players. I also thank our fans, who were a strong source of support for us throughout the match. The team showed maturity, and our performance was excellent from the beginning,” he said.

Brazil winger Gabriel Martinelli has arrived in Riyadh to begin his time with Al Hilal. Inzaghi suggested he could make his debut in the team’s next match, saying: “We may see him in the next game.”

The manager also said Al Hilal captain Salem Al-Dawsari would require more time to make a full recovery from his injury, while making clear that he was looking forward to the player’s return to action.

Inzaghi said he was confident the side would improve as the season progressed.

“We enjoyed the match, I am proud of the team, and we will develop from one game to the next,” he added.