Al-Hilal settled a thrilling Saudi football clásico against Al-Ittihad with a 3-2 victory at the Kingdom Arena in matchday eight of the Roshn Saudi League, claiming three points that return them to the top of the table after a match that remained wide open until the final whistle.
The dropped points were not the only blow suffered by Al-Ittihad, as the team tasted defeat in the league for the first time this season, having navigated their opening seven matches unbeaten with five wins and two draws before their defensive resilience was breached by the hosts’ clinical attacking display.
Al-Hilal struck early through Gabriel Martinelli, who opened the scoring in the 11th minute following an assist from Ollie Watkins. However, Al-Ittihad responded swiftly, with Youssef En-Nesyri equalizing in the 22nd minute after being set up by Marwan Al-Sahafi.
Al-Hilal quickly regained the lead when Watkins netted the second in the 30th minute, putting Simone Inzaghi’s side back in front. The English striker nearly added another before the break, only for VAR to intervene and disallow the goal in the third minute of stoppage time.
Al-Hilal maintained their pressure in the second half, with Crysencio Summerville scoring the third goal in the 64th minute following another assist from Watkins, who capped off the clásico with a goal and two assists to emerge as the decisive figure in Al-Hilal’s victory.
Al-Ittihad refused to surrender, winning a penalty after a VAR review in the closing minutes, which Steven Bergwijn successfully converted in the 89th minute to narrow the deficit to 3-2. The visitors pressed for an equalizer, but Al-Hilal held firm to navigate the final moments without conceding.
Al-Hilal raised their tally to 21 points from eight matches, recording seven wins against a single defeat to climb to the top of the Roshn Saudi League. Meanwhile, Al-Ittihad remain on 17 points in fourth place, holding a record of five wins, two draws, and one loss.
Al-Hilal have little time to celebrate the clásico win as they travel to face Qatar’s Al-Sadd on October 13 in the AFC Champions League Elite, before visiting Al-Riyadh on October 16 in domestic action—a busy week that will test Inzaghi’s squad management.
Meanwhile, Al-Ittihad will require a swift response when they host UAE side Shabab Al-Ahli on October 13 in continental play, followed by a tough local fixture against Al-Shabab on October 16. Both matches will determine the team’s ability to bounce back from their first setback and prevent the clásico defeat from triggering a dip in form.
