Gomes vs Hilal: The Haunted Record That Could Define Fateh’s Night in Saudi Pro League

Negative Stats

The Portuguese coach Jose Gomes, who guides Al Fateh, is bracing for a daunting test as his side travels to face Al Hilal on Saturday night in round nine of the Roshen Saudi Pro League. The clash pits a team hungry for points against a heavyweight that has shown signs of form all season long.

Gomes knows the scale of the assignment. Hilal may not be leading the table, but their coach, Simoni Inzaghi, has steered the side to consistent improvement and a long run without a defeat since the campaign began.

Memory is not on Gomes memories side. Last season, when he was in charge of Fateh, he endured his worst Saudi Pro League defeat, a 9-0 thrashing by the same opponents.

In that lopsided game, Gomes tried a bold, open approach, hoping to match Jesus style, but Hilal s pace and ruthless finishing overwhelmed his side. More than 90 percent of Fateh s chances toward the goal found the net for Hilal.

Hilal were ruthless that day. Marcus Leonardo scored a hat trick, and the Brazilian forward is in fine form this season as well, adding weight to the memory Gomes would rather forget.

That season s second leg offered a different drama. Fateh stayed in the fight and pushed to the limit, but the result finished 4-3 with Hilal narrowly ahead. Yet the 9-0 defeat remains a painful reminder.

Negative Numbers

Gomes could become the coach who faced Hilal the most often, with 13 meetings against Riyadh s giants. His record against Hilal reads as a tough chronology: 12 matches, two wins, and a shelf of near-misses. The first victory came with Al Taawoun, a 1-0 win that still lingers in memory, while the other came when he led Al Ahli to win the Saudi Super Cup on penalties after a 4-4 draw in regulation.

If Hilal win this weekend, Gomes would extend his losses against a single opponent to 11, a personal nadir that would cement his most difficult head-to-head. And if Fateh manage victory, Hilal could extend a seven-game stretch without a win for the blue wave, a curious statistical oddity that would haunt both sides.

The third negative stat centers on defensive records that have followed Gomes around, notably the 38 goals conceded against Hilal, the worst defensive tally he has posted against any opponent as a coach.

Against Hilal, his teams have found the net roughly 20 times but have shipped 38; against Al Nassr in 13 meetings, the numbers read 16 for and 29 against, including a five-goal rout in the fifth round of this season.

Across these clashes, visual memory often wins the argument. Two Fateh images in the mix remind fans that a single moment can pivot the entire series, a reminder that the margin between heartbreak and triumph is often razor-thin.

Ongoing Struggles

If Gomes did manage the improbable last season to keep Fateh from slipping to the bottom, this season the same team sits perilously close to relegation after eight rounds, with five points and a 15th-place standing. The margin is tight, and every point counts as Fateh eyes a quick escape from the danger zone.

The hope rests on Matias Vargas, the Argentine forward who has shown glimpses of brilliance, alongside Moroccan star Badra and Algerian Sidi Ben Debka, with other contributors needed to deliver a late-season push. Without contributions from the supporting cast, the battle to climb out of trouble will remain uphill.

The season has delivered painful results as well, including a 5-2 loss to Al Taawoun, currently sitting second, just before the international break. The defense under Gomes has remained a recurring concern, echoing last season s vulnerabilities and perhaps more, even as the team continues to fight with grit and pride.

Unchanging Approach

Whether Fateh faces a giant or a smaller club, Gomes tends to take the initiative. He wants his team to be proactive, not reactive, and to cultivate a clear footballing identity that gives players confidence to face the elites without fear.

If Monday s match against Hilal looks daunting, Fateh faces a repeat scenario in the King s Cup quarterfinal, a stage Gomes hopes to seize as a platform for a dramatic upset. The night will test not only his tactical plans but the heart and nerve of a squad chasing survival and pride.

Punchline time: Gomes s strategy is so aggressive that the ball sometimes files a formal complaint for harassment by the defense. Second punchline: If entertainment were a stat, this matchup would top the charts, leaving fans laughing in the stadium and groaning at the scoreboard at the same time.