Darwin Núñez, the Uruguayan striker for Al Hilal, appears to have cracked a Slovak password to unlock defenses that once stymied him in the English Premier League with Liverpool and now in the Saudi Pro League with Hilal.
Al Hilal ran out comfortable 5-0 winners away to Al Ettifaq on Saturday, in the fifth round of the Saudi Pro League, on Ettifaq’s home ground in Dammam, delivering a statement performance.
Núñez was at the heart of the show, scoring twice and laying on a third for Brazilian Marcos Leonardo, as he turned in his best display for Hilal since his high-profile arrival in the summer transfer window.
Slovak Password Unlocked
According to SofaScore’s stats, this was the first time Núñez contributed to three goals in a single match for Hilal, and indeed in three years for his career since his Benfica days.
Before this Etifaq clash, Núñez had only two goals for Hilal: one against Al Qadsiah on September 13 in the Saudi league and another against Al Duhail on September 16 in the ACL group stage.
In contrast, he failed to score in the August 29 match in Riyadh against Al Riyadh in the league’s opening round, and then again in the September 19 derby against Al Ahli, though he did pick up an assist in a 3-3 draw.
Additionally, the Uruguayan was sidelined for three Hilal fixtures this season due to injury: against Al Akhdood on September 25 in the league, against Nasaf in the ACL on September 29, and against Al Adalah on September 22 in the King’s Cup.
As SofaScore notes, this outing marked the first time Núñez has contributed to three goals in a single game for nearly three and a half years — a milestone he first achieved during his Benfica days.
That earlier star turn came when Benfica faced Belenses on April 9, 2022, in the Portuguese league, a night that featured Núñez’s hat-trick, a display that helped propel his move to Liverpool a few months later.
From Benfica to Liverpool in the summer of 2022, Núñez spent three seasons in England without achieving the same trio-of-goals impact he just produced in Saudi Arabia.
Remarkably, he did this against Marek Rodák, the Slovak goalkeeper who was once between the sticks for Fulham, and who also faced Núñez when he appeared for Liverpool in the Premier League against Fulham in August 2022. Since then, Núñez has faced Rodák twice more, tallying three goals and two assists across those meetings.
Another Five-Goal Night and a Slovak Connection
The scoring spree against Ettifaq adds to Núñez’s history of prolific nights, and it rekindles memories of the kind of drama Hilal’s supporters crave — a season that has seen several five-goal displays in different competitions under various coaches, including the interim spell of the club’s legend Mohammed Al Shalhoub.
The win also renews Al Hilal’s confidence after recent cup and league fixtures, with the club aiming to sustain a high-intensity run that echoes the days when Jorge Jesus coached the side toward domestic titles and title challenges in Asia.
Captioned by the night’s performance, Núñez’s form now looks like a blueprint for Hilal’s forward line as they chase silverware this season.
Punchline time: If football had a password, Núñez just tweeted the combination — 2 goals and an assist, plus a little Slovak magic — and the defense swiped left. Punchline number two: With Núñez in this mood, the ball might file a restraining order against the net.
