JEDDAH — Al Hilal continued to shine in major encounters, securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Al Ahli at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah on Saturday, maintaining their lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League standings. Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrović was the hero of the night, scoring both the equalizer and the winning goal, lifting his side to 18 points. Al Ahli, on the other hand, remained on seven points, positioned in 10th place. Al Ahli took the lead early in the match, with Gabriel Viega finishing calmly after dribbling past Al Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Al Ahli's defense then saved a potential equalizer in the 21st minute, as Merih Demiral cleared a close-range effort by Sergej Milinković-Savić off the line. Mitrović, the league's top scorer, had his first chance in the 27th minute but his powerful shot went wide. Moments later, Al Hilal's Salem Al-Dawsari almost scored with a close-range attempt, but Al Ahli's goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi made a brilliant save, deflecting the ball onto the post. Mitrović thought he had equalized just before halftime, but his goal was ruled out for offside following a build-up play. Despite frustrations, Al Hilal pressed on and eventually found the equalizer in the 56th minute, as Mitrović headed home a Renan Lodi cross. The Serbian striker had the chance to seal the game with a penalty in the 74th minute, but Al-Sanbi made an impressive save. However, VAR determined that the Al Ahli goalkeeper had moved off his line, leading to a retake, which Mitrović converted in the 78th minute. Al Ahli fought hard for a comeback, with Roberto Firmino coming close to equalizing with a powerful shot that just missed the target. In stoppage time, Merih Demiral once again cleared a Joao Cancelo effort off the line, while Riyad Mahrez's last-gasp strike narrowly missed the post. The victory solidifies Al Hilal's place at the top of the league, as they continue their quest for the title.
