JEDDAH: Al-Hilal won 2-0 at Al-Ittihad on Friday to silence the reigning champions, reaffirm their title credentials and move into third place in the Saudi Pro League behind Al-Taawoun and early leaders Al-Nassr.

It was a night that pitted two former coaches of Milan’s great rivals against each other, with the visitors’ ex-Inter boss Simone Inzaghi crossing swords with the home side’s Sergio Conceicao, formerly of AC Milan.

It was a night of spectacle from the start at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, with every seat filled. Before kick-off, Al-Ittihad’s fans unfurled a huge tifo to greet their team. The noise was fierce, the tension palpable as for the first half-hour the two giants traded blows, each in search of an opening.

Karim Benzema came close for Al-Ittihad but the breakthrough did not come until five minutes before the interval, when Al-Hilal’s Ruben Neves swung in a curling corner from the left, the ball dipping dangerously into a packed six-yard box. Amid the chaos, it was Mahamadou Doumbia who got the final touch — an unfortunate header that flew into his own net.

As Al-Ittihad battled to find a response after the break, Al-Hilal struck again in the 57th minute. Neves, again at the heart of everything, unleashed a fierce, long-range shot that goalkeeper Hamed Al-Shanqiti could only parry. Marcos Leonardo was quickest to react, slotting the rebound into the net from close range and turning the visitors’ control into comfort. The damage was done.

A few minutes from the end, Darwin Nunez once again had the ball in the Al-Ittihad net but the former Liverpool forward’s strike was ruled out for offside.

It didn’t matter. Al-Hilal’s composure, experience and precision were simply too much for the home side and the final whistle signaled a statement victory in a high-voltage rivalry that might yet define the course of the season ahead.

For now, though, Al-Hilal take the three points home to Riyadh, and at this early stage the title race is wide open.