Malcolm's Derby Day Masterclass: Al Ittihad Becomes His Favorite Target
21 February 2026
Malcolm's Derby Day Masterclass
The Brazilian winger Malcolm, who plies his trade for Al Hilal, turned Al Ittihad into his favorite punching bag across competitions by scoring a routine goal against them.
Malcolm opened the scoring for Hilal in the fifth minute of the clash at the Kingdom Arena, during Round 23 of the Saudi Pro League.
That strike marked the fifth time the Brazilian has found the net against Al Ittihad since moving to Hilal in the summer of 2023, arriving from Zenit Saint Petersburg.
As a result, the derby giant has now witnessed Malcolm score more against Al Ittihad than any other opponent in all competitions, with four goals against them, ahead of Olympique Lyonnais, Krylia Sovetov, and PFC Nizhny Novgorod.
Note that this was Malcolm's eighth goal for Hilal this season across all competitions, and the sixth in the Saudi Pro League.
Punchline: If derbies had a joke book, Malcolm's goals would be the punchlines—always well-timed, rarely saved, and ending with the goalkeeper checking his watch.
Punchline 2: When Malcolm arrives, the defense tends to disappear—the crowd knows what’s coming, and the net knows too.
