Riyadh's Big Spenders Take the Top: Al-Hilal Win 3-2 Without Their Stars
Al-Hilal won 3-2 away at Al-Qadsiah (also written Al-Khaleej in some listings) in the eleventh round of the Saudi Pro League early on Saturday morning Beijing time, a result that lifts the Riyadh club to the top of the table on 27 points from one fewer match than its rivals. The game at Prince Fahd Stadium in Dammam was the kind of back-and-forth contest the league’s overseas audience has come to expect from its heavily imported squads: four different scorers, a lead that changed hands, and a second-half injury scare for one of the most recognizable names on the pitch.
Gabriel Martinelli, the Brazilian winger signed from Arsenal, opened the scoring in the first half after being set up by Ollie Watkins. Al-Qadsiah answered before the break through Quinones, and the home side briefly had the better of the momentum. Martinelli did not last the second half, going off injured, but by then the visitors had found their rhythm.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, the tall Serbian midfielder who has become Al-Hilal’s engine, delivered the decisive contribution with a goal and an assist. Ruben Neves, the Portuguese midfielder, also scored, and Retegui pulled one back for Al-Qadsiah late on to set up a tense finish. Reijnders provided another assist. The 3-2 scoreline gives Al-Hilal a sixth straight win across all competitions and, more importantly, first place with a game still in hand.
The result matters because the Saudi league has spent enormous sums to become a global product, and the clubs that spend most are expected to win. Al-Hilal’s squad is a case study: Martinelli, Neves, Milinkovic-Savic and a supporting cast of European imports. When a club like that goes behind and still wins away, it says as much about squad depth as about tactics. The injury to Martinelli is the one sour note; his availability over the coming weeks will shape how comfortably Al-Hilal can defend the top spot.
Elsewhere in the same round, Al-Ahli beat Al-Khaleej 4-1 at home. Ivan Toney scored twice, including an eleventh-minute header that survived a VAR review, and added a second after a goalkeeping error early in the second half. Bondarenko and Trincao, the latter with a goal and an assist, completed the scoring, with Samir Al-Haibari replying for the visitors. It was a performance that underlined how quickly the gap opens between the league’s funded clubs and the rest.
For readers new to the competition: the Saudi Pro League now draws audiences far beyond the kingdom, largely because of the European players it has signed over the past few seasons. Matches are broadcast across Asia and Europe, and results are followed closely by fans of the clubs those players left behind. The table’s shape at this stage of the season is a useful guide to which projects are working.
What to watch next is whether Al-Hilal can keep its unbeaten run going without Martinelli, and whether the chasing pack can close a gap that already looks awkward. A league built on star signings is always one injury away from a different story, and the coming fixtures will show whether the depth is real or just expensive.