Inzaghi’s extraordinary 53-game Al Hilal unbeaten sequence finally snapped by MC Alger in Austria

Simone Inzaghi’s remarkable 53-match unbeaten run as Al Hilal head coach in both competitive and friendly fixtures came to an end on Wednesday as the Saudi club fell 2-0 to MC Alger in a pre-season friendly in Austria.

The defeat was Al Hilal’s third warm-up game of their overseas training camp and the first time they have lost under the Italian in any context since early July last year.

It is only the second defeat Al Hilal have suffered since Inzaghi took charge, underlining the scale of the sequence that has just been broken.

Run ends after 53 matches

Since that previous loss, Al Hilal had played 53 matches without being beaten – five friendlies and 48 competitive games – before their reverse against MC Alger.

The first and, until now, only defeat of the Inzaghi era came on 4 July last year, when Al Hilal were beaten 2-1 by Brazilian side Fluminense in the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

Over the subsequent 53 fixtures across all competitions and non-competitive matches, Al Hilal avoided defeat, putting together one of the longest unbeaten spells in the club’s history, before MC Alger brought it to a halt in Austria.

Asian exit came on penalties

Al Hilal’s run did include their elimination from the AFC Champions League Elite at the last-16 stage against Qatari club Al Sadd, but that exit did not count as a defeat in normal play.

The tie finished 3-3 after both normal time and extra time, with Al Sadd progressing only after winning the penalty shootout.

Silverware and near-miss in league

Inzaghi has been in charge of Al Hilal since the start of their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 campaign.

Under his leadership, the Riyadh club have lifted the King’s Cup (Crown Prince Cup of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques), adding another major domestic trophy to their collection.

However, despite navigating the entire Saudi Pro League season without a single defeat, Al Hilal missed out on the league title to city rivals and long-standing adversaries Al Nassr.

That combination of domestic cup success, a title race lost without being beaten, and a long unbeaten sequence across all competitions had defined Inzaghi’s tenure until MC Alger’s 2-0 victory brought the 53-match streak to an end.