From Blunder to Triumph: Neves’s Own Goal Sparks Al Hilal’s Comeback in the Saudi Pro League

Match context and turnaround

The Portuguese midfielder Robin Neves of Al Hilal revealed the behind-the-scenes of his own goal against Al Najmah in the Saudi Pro League, and how he managed to turn the tide afterward. Neves helped Hilal overturn a deficit to win 4-2 at King Abdullah Sports City in Buraydah, in Round 8 of the Roshen Saudi Pro League.

Neves scored an own goal that briefly put Najmah ahead, then redeemed himself by scoring the third for Hilal from a free kick that hit the defensive wall and bounced into the net, shaping the comeback.

The visitors started strong, but the hosts answered back with goals from Salem Al-Dosri and Theo Hernandez as the game swung in Hilal's favor, and the late strike from Al-Dosri sealed the victory.

Neves spoke after the match in a televised interview: "We started the game behind, and it made things harder. We fell behind again later, so it was a tough match." He added that although they created several chances, the win was the priority and "not easy by any means." He explained the own-goal moment: "In football these things happen; I thought Yassine Bounou would save it, but the ball touched my touch and ended up in the net." He concluded that players must not dwell on mistakes and should move on quickly, and that he contributed to the third goal partly through good fortune but the points were the goal.

Dosri's prominence and historical notes

Salem Al-Dosri commented on the victory: "Praise be to God for the win; the most important thing is to secure the three points before the international break, and we aim for more." He addressed his historic nomination for The Best FIFA awards, saying: "I thank God I am the first Saudi candidate for FIFA’s The Best, and God willing I won't stop until I reach the world stage." He added that he has many goals and will continue to work to stay on top."

The match also featured a standout performance from Al-Dosri, who equalized with the first goal in the 10th minute, after Najmah took an early lead in the third minute. The Tornado then sealed the win with a late fourth after dribbling past the keeper into an empty net and also assisted the second goal by Frenchman Theo Hernandez, which leveled things at 2-2. The third goal came indirectly: a through ball from Al-Dosri to Brazilian Marcus Leonardo, who was fouled by Moroccan Jawad El-Yamqi in the area, sending him off and allowing Neves to score from the free kick.

Historical assessment of Al-Dosri's impact notes a SofaScore rating of 10/10, a rare mark in football, with his teammate Neves rated 8.3/10. The data show that Al-Dosri had 63 successful passes of 71 attempts (89%), with 58 passes in the opponent's half (88% accuracy). He touched the ball 96 times, completed 6 of 9 dribbles (66%), and won 10 of 13 duels. It was also his first goal of the season in the Saudi Pro League, bringing his tally to two goals and four assists in six games. Furthermore, his tally in the league reaches 82, making him the all-time top scorer for Al Hilal, surpassing Bafétimbi Gomis (81). He sits fifth in the all-time Saudi Pro League scorers list, tied with Cristiano Ronaldo.

He also helped push Hilal toward historic landmarks, as the win solidified Al Hilal’s status in the league and highlighted the continuing influence of their attacking core this season.