Mahzari and Neves, both doubts before kick-off, carry Al-Hilal back to the top
Al-Hilal beat Al-Fateh 2-0 and are back on top of the league, and two players who were doubts until the final session made the difference. Mohammed Mahzari's cross led to Ollie Watkins's early goal, and Rúben Neves settled it from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
Al-Hilal beat Al-Fateh 2-0 and are back on top of the league, and two players who were doubts until the final session made the difference. Mohammed Mahzari's cross led to Ollie Watkins's early goal, and Rúben Neves settled it from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
Al Hilal
- 1Sabri Abdu Dahal
- 2Suhayb Alzaid
- 3Moteb Al-Harbi
- 4Nawaf Al-Habshi
- 5Kader Meïté
- 6Mohammed Al-Owais
- 7Murad Al Hawsawi
- 8Ali Lajami
- 9Mohamed Kanno
Al Fateh
- 1Waled Al Enazi
- 2Faisal Al Abdulwahed
- 3Mohammed Al-Sahihi
- 4Robin Kelder
- 5Saad Al-Shurafa
- 6Fahad Zubaidi
- 7Muntathir Al Shaqaq
- 8Abdulaziz Al Fawaz
- 9Abdul Rahman Al Khaibari
Watkins scored in the 12th minute: Mahzari's cross struck the crossbar and the ball dropped for him to put it in.
Al-Hilal had most of the ball from then on, and Adrian Semper kept the margin at one when he saved a powerful shot from Theo Hernández in the 65th minute. At the other end Yassine Bounou saved a Wilfried Kanga header in the first half.
The second goal waited until stoppage time, when the referee gave Al-Hilal a penalty and Neves scored it.
The win comes four days after Al-Hilal lost 3-1 at Al-Shamal in the Asian Champions League Elite, a defeat Simone Inzaghi put down to fatigue. They now have 30 points; Al-Fateh stay 16th on six.
