Al-Hilal coach Ramon Diaz has revealed his satisfaction with the 4-2 win over Al-Ahli on Friday night, saying his team got exactly what they were looking for from the clash.
“We played well, we were in control and applied high pressure during the first half,” the Argentine said. “We scored three goals, and there was a kind of slackening in the second half. But in general, we got what we wanted, which is the three points.”
“The players’ sense that the result was decided was behind the laxity in the minutes that followed the fourth goal.”
The win was Al-Hilal’s sixth in a row and maintained their hopes of catching Al-Ittihad — who beat Al-Hazm 3-0 earlier on Friday evening — at the top of the Saudi Pro League table.
The reigning Saudi and Asian champions’ goals came through a first-half hat-trick from Nigerian forward Odion Ighalo and Moussa Marega’s 58th minute strike, while Al-Ahli responded with efforts from Omar Al Somah Ezgjan Alioski.
Al-Hilal are now second in the table on 49 points, 11 points behind Al-Ittihad, but with two games in hand, while Al-Ahli lie in 10th place.
Al-Hilal will next take on Al-Shabab on April 3, following Saudi Arabia’s World Cup qualifiers against China and Australia. Al-Ittihad will face Al-Feiha the following day.
