DAMMAM — Al Hilal kept the Roshn Saudi League title race alive on Tuesday after battling back to defeat Al Khaleej 2-1 and cut the gap to leaders Al Nassr to two points.
Sergej Milinković-Savić equalized for Al Hilal before Sultan Mandash struck the winner 11 minutes from time in Dammam.
The victory sets up a potentially decisive Riyadh derby next week, when Al Nassr host Al Hilal with only three rounds remaining in the season.
“We go game by game,” Milinković-Savić said after the match. “First one is the King’s Cup final. Then, after, Al Nassr will be the final for the league.”
Al Hilal fell behind early when Joshua King gave Al Khaleej the lead, but Simone Inzaghi’s side responded strongly to maintain pressure in the title race.
The reigning champions now sit two points behind Al Nassr, although the league leaders can restore a five-point cushion when they face Al Shabab in another Riyadh derby on Thursday.
Before next week’s blockbuster clash, Al Hilal will first turn their attention to Friday’s King’s Cup final against Al Kholood in Jeddah.
“Of course, it was a difficult game,” Milinković-Savić added. “But we knew from the beginning what we needed to do to win and go closer to Al Nassr.”
With momentum building and the title race tightening, next week’s Capital Derby could prove decisive in determining the Saudi champions.
Source: Saudi Gazette