Al Khaleej delivered a stunning come back to defeat defending champions Al Hilal 3-2 in the 11th week of the Saudi Pro League on Saturday, ending their 46-match unbeaten run in the domestic competition.
The victory was masterminded by Greek tactician Georgios Donis, a former Al Hilal coach.
Al Hilal took the lead early, with Marcos Leonardo scoring after a defensive error in the 12th minute of the match.
Aleksandar Mitrović extended the lead in the 37th minute, heading home a Salem Al-Dawsari’s corner for his 12th goal.
However, Al Khaleej pulled one back just before halftime after Kalidou Koulibaly fouled Pedro Rebocho in the penalty area.
Although Yassine Bono saved Konstantinos Fortounis’ penalty, Abdullah Al-Salem converted the rebound to ignite a comeback.
Al-Salem’s Heroics Turn the Tide
Al-Salem equalized in the 47th minute, receiving Khaled Narey’s pass and finishing coolly, leveling with Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally of seven league goals.
This marked Al-Salem’s third consecutive brace, cementing his status as the league’s highest-scoring Saudi player this season.
In the 85th minute, Narey delivered again, setting up Fabio Martins for a tap-in, sealing a shocking victory for Al Khaleej.
The loss leaves Al Hilal with 28 points, potentially losing their top spot if Al Ittihad win on Sunday evening.
On the other hand, Al Khaleej moved to sixth place with 19 points, just three behind Al Nassr, Al Shabab, and Al Qadsiah who all collected 22 points so far.
