RIYADH — Al-Hilal defeated Al-Riyadh 6-1 in an overwhelming display of dominance, propelling them to the top of the Saudi Pro League standings. On a Friday night, the highly anticipated competition's sixth round began with this tense battle.
Early on, Al-Hilal established control of the contest and led 2-0 at the break. Alexander Mitrovi converted a penalty kick in the 30th minute, and Yasser Al-Shahrani scored in the final seconds of injury time; both goals in the first half were beautifully accomplished.
Nasser Al-Dossari scored in the second half after Malcolm made a skillful pass that Neymar himself had set up. Al-Hilal's relentless attack was on full display. Malcolm, a former star for Zenit, furthered his team's victory by scoring another goal off of a Neymar pass.
Salem Al-Dossari added two more successful penalty kicks to Al-Hilal's advantage before scoring an incredible sixth goal in the 95th minute. Despite their best efforts, Al-Riyadh was able to maintain some dignity thanks to a late goal by Ali Al-Zaq'an in the 96th minute.
Notably, Neymar made his much-anticipated Saudi Pro League debut in this match, playing for Al-Hilal for the first time. As a result of his well-publicized departure from Paris Saint-Germain during the most recent summer transfer window, his appearance on the pitch increased the level of enthusiasm among fans.
Al-Hilal FC now occupies the top spot in the league standings with a total of 16 points thanks to this resounding victory. They have so far maintained a pristine record of five wins and one draw thanks to their remarkable performance.
Al-Riyadh, on the other hand, is in 16th place with a total of four points. Despite obtaining one win and one draw along the way, this defeat is their fourth of the year.
