RIYADH: In a season marked by turbulence on the pitch and behind the scenes, Al-Hilal will have something to celebrate when the campaign concludes, whatever happens as their battle with Al-Nassr at the top of the Saudi Pro League goes to the wire.
The Blues secured their 12th King Cup title on Friday, ending Al-Kholood’s fairytale run in the competition with a 2-1 victory. They had to come from behind to do so after Al-Kholood took the lead inside three minutes, but two goals in a five-minute spell just before half time gave Al-Hilal a narrow lead that proved to be enough for them to lift the cup for the third time in four years.
Despite being unable to secure the victory, it was a night to remember for Al-Kholood, who sit 12 places below their opponents in the Pro League and were only promoted to the Saudi top flight for the first time in their history in 2024. A year later, they became the first foreign-owned team in Saudi Arabia, when American investor Ben Harburg acquired the club. Under his leadership the side have adopted a community-driven focus that has contributed to the growth that led to the final.
Al-Kholood lined up in the 4-4-2 formation that proved so successful in holding last season’s Pro League champions, Al-Ittihad, to a goalless draw on Monday, with one key change: they switched Iker Kortajarena and Abdulaziz Al-Aliwa’s positions on the wings to better exploit the space behind their opponents’ defense.
Nasser Al-Dawsari and Theo Hernandez celebrates Al-Hilal's equalizer against Al-Kholood. (X: @AlHilal_FC)
Al-Hilal’s head coach, Simone Inzaghi, continued to deploy his side in a distinctive 3-1-4-2 formation in which Ruben Neves and Hassan Al-Tambakti took turns operating as the libero. This proved to be a weakness in the early moments of the game, however, when a long ball from Al-Kholood in the third minute left them stranded and allowed Ramiro Enrique to wriggle through and fire past Yassine Bounou for the opener.
After taking the lead, Des Buckingham’s men quickly shifted into a deep-defensive shape and were soon packed into a compact formation that for a time seemed to be blocking any route to an Al-Hilal breakthrough.
That breakthrough did eventually come, however, in the 42nd minute when Malcom got the better of Shaquille Pinas on the right flank before delivering a cross toward Karim Benzema. Ramzi Sawlan won the header to clear the immediate threat, but Nasser Al-Dawsari was quickest to react in the box and he put the ball past Juan Cozzani.
The right flank was also the source of Al-Hilal’s second goal. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic drifted wide in the second minute of first-half stoppage time and delivered a low cross that was once again only partially cleared by the Al-Kholood defense, this time only as far as Benzema, who laid the ball off for Theo Hernandez to fire a powerful low strike into the far corner.
Once they fell behind, Al-Kholood were unable to regain their early rhythm or threaten goal again. Al-Hilal, meanwhile, looked comfortable in control, though Sultan Mandash missed a golden opportunity late in the match to extend their lead.
As a result, the highlight of the second half arguably took place off the field, as the stadium erupted when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, attending on behalf of King Salman, emerged in the 80th minute to watch the end of the match before presenting the winners with their medals and the trophy.
Al-Hilal’s attention now turns to May 12 and a crucial Capital Derby clash with Al-Nassr in the Pro League. Victory for Al-Nassr will secure the championship; an Al-Hilal win would leave their fate in their own hands, as victory in their remaining two games would guarantee top spot.
Al-Kholood, meanwhile, are all but guaranteed to remain in the Pro League for another season, should take immense pride in managing to reach the King Cup final just two seasons after promotion, and can start to look ahead to the next stage of their growth.
