Five-Goal masterclass: Al Hilal lands runner-up spot with emphatic win over Al Ettifaq

Match Recap

Al Hilal delivered a commanding 5-0 victory over Al Ettifaq on Saturday evening at the Ego Stadium in Dammam, as the Saudi Pro League’s fifth round produced another one sided affair.

Marcus Leonardo opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, finishing after a quick cross from the right, and Darwin Nunez doubled the lead just before halftime to send the visitors into the break with a comfortable advantage.

In the second half, Robin Neves converted from a penalty in the 48th minute, Leonardo added a third and fourth in the 55th, then Nunez completed the rout with a late header in the 74th minute.

The result lifts Al Hilal to 11 points and into second place, just one point behind the leaders Al Nassr who have a game in hand. Al Ettifaq remain on seven points, sitting in tenth.

Malcolm Felipe returned from a 29-day spell on the sidelines, while Yassine Bounou reached a milestone with his 100th appearance for the club, keeping a clean sheet on the day.

Lineups reflected a strong attacking setup for Hilal with Bono in goal, a backline featuring a mix of experience and solidity, and midfielders Nasser Al-Dosri, Robin Neves, and Serge Milinkovic-Savic supporting a front line of Malcolm Felipe, Marcus Leonardo, and Darwin Nunez.

Etifaq started with Marek Rodak in goal and a defensive block that included Francisco, Riad Al Atibi, Abdullah Khatib, Jack Hendry, and Abdulla Mado; midfielders Georginho, Ondrej Duda, and Alvaro Medran, with Khaled Al Ghannam and Moha Nkota up front.

Key moments

Hilal dominated the opening period, with a close-range effort from Ndosri saved by the goalkeeper before Serge Milinkovic-Savic’s left-footed strike went narrowly wide. Ettifaq’s goalkeeper and defense were under pressure throughout the first half, with Hilal finally breaking through in the 23rd minute via Leonardo.

After halftime, the sequence continued as Ettifaq conceded a second through Leonardo in the 39th minute of the first half, a penalty in the 48th minute for Hand ball on the defense, and a fourth in the 55th minute as Hilal piled on the pressure. Nunez completed the scoring in the 74th minute with a header from a right-wing cross, sealing a night of complete dominance.

With the win, Hilal solidified their chase of the league leaders, while Ettifaq’s game plan failed to translate into a result on the road. A late substitution saw Mohammad Kanno replace Nasser Al-Dosri as the coach rotated options in the closing stages.

Milestones and notes

Malcolm Felipe’s return after nearly a month was notable, and Bono reached a milestone 100 appearances for the club, logging another clean sheet to extend his impressive numbers at the back.

Five-star night for Hilal, five alarms in defense for Ettifaq, and a reminder that in this league, the scoreboard can glow as bright as the stadium lights after a display like this.

Punchline time: If offense were a sport, Hilal just filed for a championship; the only thing louder than the cheers was the TV remote slamming into the sofa. Punchline two: Ettifaq’s defense took a timeout and got lost—somewhere between the third goal and the final whistle, apparently the map of the game went missing.