A Seven-Goal Thriller Signals the Dawn of a New Saudi Pro League: Al-Ittihad vs. Al-Hilal
The Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium witnessed a pulsating seven-goal thriller in the pick match of the entire weekend when Al-Hilal staged a stunning comeback to win 3-4.
It was the proverbial match of two halves. The first half belonged to the hosts, who started sharper, with a high tempo, the right aggression, and the finishing touch.
Romarinho opened the scoring in the 16th minute. But they did not stay in the lead for long. Aleksandar Mitrovic got off the mark with a goal in the 20th minute.
The first half, however, belonged to Al-Ittihad. Karim Benzema, who faced doubts about his participation ahead of the match, notched in the 38th minute. At the stroke of half time, in the 48th minute, Abderrazak Hamdallah made it 3-1 to Al-Ittihad.
Al-Hilal came back into the second half with a different intensity. Mitrovic completed his hattrick in the space of five minutes, striking in the 60th minute and the 65th minute, the latter converted from the spot. Salem Aldawsari grabbed the winner in the 71st minute.
The quality of the match, the tempo at which it was played, and the breathtaking goals on display heralded a new age of the Saudi Pro League in emphatic fashion.
Although the names of the player on the pitch matter, the quality and competitiveness of the football on display has improved significantly, highlighting the positive trajectory of the Saudi football project.
