Weekend Highlights: Al Hilal Pick up From Last Season, No Win for Al Nassr Despite Ronaldo’s Goal, and Quiñones Hat Trick Marks Al Qadsiah’s Entry to the Top Flight
The Saudi Pro League returned to action this weekend, and there was plenty of action all around. Teams have been prudently making changes this summer with a keen focus on improving their prospects in the new season. Al Hilal continues to win. Al Nassr are still stumbling, and new boys Al Qadsiah set out to mark their arrival with a statement win.
Al Hilal looked like they’ve not lost a step from last season as they thumped Al Okhdood 3-0. On paper, this was a mismatch as Al Okhdood escaped relegation on the last day of last season, and Al Hilal won the title unbeaten. With only four minutes played, Aleksandar Mitrovic scored and would complete his brace with another first-half goal in the 39th minute. Al Hilal sealed the win before breaking for halftime with a Sergej Milinković-Savić strike in the first minute of added time.
Al Nassr went into matchday one wounded after suffering a 4-1 defeat against Al Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup final. Facing Al Raed, who escaped relegation last season by a whisker, this was an opportunity to put the Super Cup loss behind them and start the season on a clean slate.
Ronaldo scored in the 34th minute with one of his trademark headers after a Sadio Mane cross. Despite registering 28 shots on goal, Al Nassr simply could not find a second goal, and they ended up rueing the missed chances when Aymeric Laporte committed a foul inside the box in the 49th minute, leading to a penalty awarded to Al Raed, who scored. Despite the season just starting, rumors are now swirling regarding manager Luis Castro’s job security.
Elsewhere, Laurent Blanc started his Al Ittihad tenure with a one-nil win over newly promoted Al Kholood. Newcomers Al Qadsiah wasted no time registering a statement win against Al Fateh. Making his debut, Julián Quiñones registered a brace to secure a 3-0 win, with Abdulaziz Al-Othman scoring the other goal.
