RIYADH: Al-Hilal defeated Al-Fayha 3-0 on Friday in Riyadh to make it seven wins out of seven in the Saudi Pro League this season, while Al-Ahli also won by the same scoreline.
An early goal from Marcos Leonardo put the champions ahead and in control, but it was Salem Al-Dawsari who sealed the points with a second-half header to help banish memories of his missed penalty for Saudi Arabia only three days earlier. Mohammed Al-Qahtani added a third late in the game to complete a satisfactory evening for Al-Hilal.
After three defeats at the start of the season, Al-Fahya had been finding some form in the league so were disappointed to fall behind after just five minutes.
Renan Lodi got to the left byline inside the area and his pullback toward the edge of the six-yard box spot was perfect, and all Leonardo had to do was guide the ball home for his first league goal since arriving from Benfica. It was a simple finish but came at the end of a fluid Hilal move with the team moving the ball from one side of the pitch to the other and Al-Dawsari slipping the final pass through to Lodi.
The hosts were then in control for much of the first period but they simply could not convert one of their numerous chance to find the all-important second goal.
Leonardo headed against the post on the half hour and soon after the home crowd gasped with shock in the 39th minute as Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has been on fire this season with nine goals in six league games, headed straight at the goalkeeper from close range after more good work from Lodi. The impressive Joao Cancelo then shot just over from the right side of the box.
Leonardo should have doubled his tally in the 43rd minute when Cancelo crossed from the right, but the Brazilian headed over from close range. Hilal came even closer in added time as Cancelo won the possession on the right corner of the area and fed Malcom, whose shot just brushed the right top corner of the goal frame.
It was not all one-way traffic as the visitors should have been on level terms soon after the restart. Fashion Sakala’s perfect low pass from the right made it all the way over to Renzo Lopez on the opposite side of the area and his shot just rolled past Hilal’s left post with goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Rubaie, in for the injured Yassine Bounou, beaten. Lopez came almost as close seconds later, firing just wide of the same post after a defensive mix-up.
Just as it looked as if the visitors could get something, Al-Dawsari stepped up to calm the nerves. Once again there was good work on the right from Cancelo and his cross was coolly headed home by the captain. It was his last contribution before being subbed off and the smiles all round were in contrast to the gloomy atmosphere of the national team.
It did not take his replacement long to make an impact as Al-Qahtani finished off a devastating counter-attack. Malcom made the final pass from left to right for the youngster to fire a low shot into the bottom corner.
There was no coming back from that as Al-Hilal picked up another emphatic win and sent another message to the rest of the Saudi Pro League.
Elsewhere, Al-Ahli won by the same scoreline at Al-Khaleej, a welcome victory for a team that had lost three of the previous five. Just two minutes after Khaled Al-Samiri was sent off for the hosts early in the second half, Firas Al-Buraikan broke the deadlock. Ivan Toney and Merih Demiral added two more for the Greens.
It was a necessary win for the Jeddah giants and, coupled with the victory in the AFC Champions League, should relieve some of the pressure that had been on coach Matthias Jaissle. The victory lifts Al-Ahli into fifth but they are still 11 points behind the unstoppable Al-Hilal.
