Al Hilal’s dominance of the Saudi Pro League is set to extend to the King’s Cup and result in a treble as the season comes to a close.
Al Hilal prepares for a clash against a storied Al Ittihad side in Tuesday’s Saudi King’s Cup semi-final. The first semi-final will put two of Saudi Arabia’s most successful clubs in history.
The two sides have met five times this season, including the pre-season clash. Al Hilal has won all these matches against Al Ittihad to underscore its dominance in the future. Al Ittihad have not beaten Al Hilal since 2021, a run comprising 12 matches.
Last season, Al Hilal played Al Ittihad in the King’s Cup semi-final and emerged as a 1-0 winner in Jeddah after Ahmed Hegazi put through his own net in extra time. Hilal progressed to the final and emerged silverware winners in a penalty shootout victory over Al Wehda.
However, Al Hilal will be without typical firepower up front, with Neymar and Aleksandar Mitrovic missing. Jorge Jesus has placed goalscoring responsibility on the other attacking players, especially Malcom, who has stepped up and taken up the load of getting goals in the attacking end.
A win on Tuesday will further highlight Al Hilal’s domestic dominance this season. It will preserve Jorge Jesus’ side’s hopes of securing a domestic treble after they were denied a place in the final of the AFC Champions League by Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates in the semi-final.
Jorge Jesus will have his charges ready and motivated for the clash against their rivals Al Ittihad even as they move closer to sealing the Sadui Premier League title.
