It seems the Italian coach Simone Inzaghi, who leads Al Hilal, hasn’t learned the lesson yet, narrowly risking another stumble this season and being saved by moments of individual brilliance.
Hilal fought to a 3-2 victory over Nasaf Karshi on Monday, at the Central Stadium in Karshi, in the second matchday of the Elite ACL group stage.
The八leader, nicknamed "the Leader", moved to six points, topping the West group, while Nasaf remained without points and sat 12th and last.
Inzaghi's Plan Revisited
Hilal started with two key wingers sidelined by injury—Salem Al-Dosari and the Brazilian Malcom—plus Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez.
Inzaghi faced a choice: keep the front three as before, with substitutes Kai Cesar, Mohammed Al-Qhatani, and Marcus Leonardo, or pivot entirely to the 3-5-2 system he’s used in the past.
He opted for the latter, recalling the 3-5-2 he trusted at Inter Milan and even used with Hilal at the Club World Cup 2025. Kalidou Koulibaly, Hassan Tamompti, and Ali Al-Bulayhi formed the center-back trio, with Hamad Al-Yami and Theo Hernandez as overlapping wing-backs.
In midfield, Robin Neves, Mohammed Kanno, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic held the center, with Milinkovic-Savic given a more advanced role behind the attacking duo Marcus Leonardo and Abdullah Hamdan.
Reputational Issues
This plan was a favorite of Inzaghi’s at Inter Milan and was used against Manchester City and Fluminense in the Club World Cup, yet it does not bring happy memories for Hilal fans.
Last season, former manager Jorge Jesus tried to rely on three defenders on three different occasions but failed to win any of those matches.
The leader lost 1-2 to Al-Qadisiyah and drew 1-1 with Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi league, and even drew the same scoreline with Al-Sadd in the Elite ACL.
Even in the Club World Cup while Inzaghi himself was at the helm, despite beating Manchester City 4-3, Hilal bowed out by playing the same system against Fluminense in the quarterfinals.
Yet Inzaghi did not learn from those results and faced Nasaf with the same approach.
Attacking Woes
Strangely, even though they played with two aerial strikers—each good in the air—and two attacking full-backs hugging the line most of the time, Hilal did not send many crosses across the game.
Instead, the team attempted to break through the middle via Milinkovic-Savic in midfield and Theo Hernandez’s runs from the heart of the pitch rather than from the flanks.
The result was a lack of a clear finishing sequence until the final 10 minutes, courtesy of Marcus Leonardo, the equalizer coming from a Savic error by the Nasaf keeper and a second from Theo’s solo burst.
A change was finally made in the last quarter of the second half, introducing Kai Cesar as a true right winger for Ali Al-Bulayhi, shifting Abdullah Hamdan to the left wing behind Marcus Leonardo, turning the shape into a 4-3-3.
Defensive Gaps
Not only did Al-Bulayhi’s return not fix things, but the defender himself failed to capitalize on getting back into the lineup; space between him and the left-back became a clear weak point Nasaf exploited for the second goal.
There was also a visible hole in midfield; even with three defenders and three in midfield, too much space allowed Nasaf to score the opener with ease.
Lessons Relearned
The problem was that Hilal went ahead three times but did not learn to protect the lead; every time they advanced, they retreated too much, losing control and failing to press for a decisive second goal.
It was reminiscent of the Al Ahli lesson in the Saudi league, where a three-goal cushion was squandered before a late comeback by the underdog, and of Nasaf’s group-stage threat in the Elite tournament.
Moreover, Inzaghi’s approach against Nasaf in the first group match echoed this lesson: the team entered the second half with a relaxed mindset and Nasaf struck twice early in the half.
Recurring Pattern
Now Inzaghi must recalibrate; despite the win, this pattern has begun to recur in Hilal’s campaign this season. Each time they surge ahead, they retreat, allowing the opponent back into the game and missing chances to finish off matches.
Defensively, the team has shipped nine goals in seven matches, averaging more than a goal per game. Only two clean sheets in seven matches, one against Adalah in a lower division, underline the fragility of their back line.
Punchlines coming up, because even the scoreboard deserves a laugh:
Punchline 1: If defense were a sniper, it would shoot blanks every time—lots of aim, zero impact.
Punchline 2: This team’s tactic is like a magician’s trick—now you see the lead, now you don’t (and the crowd sees the scoreboard shrink).
