Derby Ready: Inzaghi Unveils Three Returnees as Al Hilal Prep for Al Shabab Showdown
30 October 2025
Inzaghi Names Three Returnees for Al Hilal Derby Against Al Shabab
Italian coach Simone Inzaghi announced on Thursday that the Zaeem trio is fully ready for the upcoming derby with city rivals Al Shabab, in week seven of the Saudi Pro League.
In the pre match press conference he said one of the trio might feature off the bench, with Salem Al Dawsari, Marcus Leonardo, or Darwin Nunez all fully fit to boost the squad.
Al Dawsari trained with the group yesterday and will take part in today s training; he has completed a full week of rehabilitation and conditioning and looked in excellent shape.
The final team session is crucial to assess readiness, with five matches played in 15 days; the coach will evaluate players to pick the best for the showdown. Shabab is a tough opponent that has reached the Cup quarterfinals, and the coach knows their boss well.
Looking ahead to the upcoming break from Nov 10 to 18, Inzaghi said it is too early to discuss; focus remains on the derby against Shabab, then a trip to Doha to face Al Gharafa in ACL group action, followed by another league game. The plan is to manage effort in the best possible way.
Head to Head and Market Value Show Hilal Edge
Head to head in October shows balanced results as the two giants have met 34 times in the modern era of Saudi Pro League since 2008 2009. The Blue Wave Hilal leads with 19 wins to 5 for Shabab and 10 draws, with Hilal scoring 61 goals to 34 for Shabab.
The October 2014 meeting saw Shabab beat Hilal 1 0 thanks to a goal by South Korea s Cho Young Park at King Fahd Stadium. The 2018 meeting ended with a 1 0 Hilal victory by a goal from Mohamed Kano. The October 2022 clash ended 1 1 with Musa Marega giving Hilal the lead before Brazilian Carlos Junior equalized for Shabab.
The two clubs share a long standing market value gap with Hilal valued at about 215.45 million euros and Shabab at 49.88 million euros. Darwin Nunez the Hilal striker is the most valuable player at 45 million, followed by Theo Hernandez at 35 million.
Private plane era begins as Hilal announced the launch of its own private jet, becoming the first club in Saudi and the Middle East to carry the clubs logo. The plane arrived at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The first trip will be to Doha on Sun Nov 2 for the clash with Al Gharafa in the fourth round of the AFC Champions League group stage, and the plane will also be available for booking by fans via the Saudi carrier network to create a new experience.
Hilal seeks to reclaim the Saudi Pro League title and the elite AFC Champions League in this season after sharing the last year s trophies with Jeddah clubs in a ranking; the club will aim to lead after this season.
Punchline 1: If this derby were a sniper range, Inzaghi would call it a precision drill and the crowd would still cheer for the bang of the net.
Punchline 2: They say football is about cracks in defense; in this game, the only crack you’ll hear is the sound of the ball hitting the back of the net, louder than any trophy clink.
