Al-Hilal 2-1 Damac: League Leaders Entertain Home Crowd With Routine Win
Al-Hilal underlined their fine form in the Saudi Pro League in a routine 2-1 win over visitors Damac in front of the home fans at the Kingdom Arena last Saturday.
Gaffer Jorge Jesus picked a strong starting 11 going into this match, including top scorer Mitrovic and high-performing Michael, Malcolm, and Al-Dawsari to offer support in attack, Milinkovic-Savic and Neves in midfield, and Koulibally and Al Bulaihi completing the spine at center-back.
This match lacked the usual flavor in the final third by their lofty standards this season. Al-Hilal still dominated possession of the ball and peppered the Damac goal with shots and attempts. However, the first half, attack versus defense, showed Damac’s resilience and solidity.
Damac underscored its credentials in this match. Its approach was organized, disciplined, and pragmatic, which owed more to necessity than design to Damac manager Cosmin Contra.
Pinned in their half for most of the first half, Damac showed solidity and grit to hold the run-away Saudi Pro League leaders to a 0-0 scoreline at halftime. Jorge Jesus was frustrated with the first half and sought to rouse his side in the second half.
The second period started like the first, with Al-Hilal dominating the ball and territory and Damac defending easily. However, this Al-Hilal side has repeatedly shown that denying them for a full 90 minutes is difficult.
Salem Aldawsari was on hand to put the home side ahead in the 79th minute. However, Domagoj Antolic’s equalizer in the 86th minute shocked them. Damac’s good work was undermined by a Dhari Al-Anazi red card in the 88th minute.
Al-Hilal pushed hard in extra time. Their efforts were rewarded in the 93rd minute when Michael struck the winner to secure three points for Jorge Jesus’s league leaders. Al-Hilal underlined their title credentials, winning in adversity as they were forced to dig deep to get the three points in the end against a stubborn Damac side.
