Al-Dawsari's Leadership Shines in Al-Hilal's Victory Over Al-Riyadh on Debut Day
In a thrilling opening game of the 2025 Saudi Pro League season, Al-Hilal emerged victorious against Al-Riyadh at the Kingdom Arena. The match marked Al-Hilal's first league game under the management of Simone Inzaghi.
The game started with Al-Hilal taking an early lead in the 22nd minute when Moteb Al Harbi scored a goal, thanks to an inch-perfect reverse pass from Salem Al Dawsari. Al-Hilal missed an opportunity to go 2-0 up early in the game when Salem Al Dawsari failed to convert after a neat interchange with Malcom.
The second goal for Al-Hilal came in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, as Malcom found the bottom-left corner of the net after a clever flick from Salem Al Dawsari. Salem Al Dawsari, who was instrumental in Al-Hilal's attack, ended the contest with team-high totals for chances created (three) and successful dribbles (two).
Salem Al Dawsari also provided two assists in the game, one each for Inzaghi and Malcom. Al-Hilal's captain was involved in all of Al-Hilal's goals, demonstrating his crucial role in the team's success.
Al-Hilal registered an expected goals (xG) total of two from their 15 shots compared to Al-Riyadh's 0.2 from their two shots, showcasing their dominance in the match.
Darwin Nunez's debut goal for Al-Hilal was disallowed due to a foul in the build-up. Ruben Neves played more passes in the final third than Al-Hilal's captain, Salem Al Dawsari, but it was the latter who stood out as the key player in Al-Hilal's 2-0 win.
Al-Hilal's unbeaten record on matchday one in the Pro League remained intact, making it their 13th consecutive opening-day triumph in the top flight. Al-Hilal have avoided defeat in their last 14 league matches in August, winning the last five. Their last defeat in this month came against Al-Riyadh in 2020.
The win marks a strong start for Al-Hilal in their quest for league glory this season. The team will look to build on this victory as they continue their Pro League campaign.
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