The context made this game almost inevitably tense. Al Hilal and Al Ahli came into it fighting for the top of the Saudi Pro League, separated by just a few points, with Al Nassr lurking behind them. Hilal, who just two matchdays ago were isolated at the summit, arrived on the back of two consecutive draws and, perhaps for the first time this season, were starting to feel the weight of potentially losing control of the league. On the other side stood a confident Al Ahli, eight wins in a row, the best defence in the competition and Ivan Toney as the focal point of their attack.
The opening reflected that perfectly: tension. Aggressive play, hard tackles, plenty of physical contact and a permissive referee, the kind who prefers not to intervene too much. Al Ahli started better on the ball, more comfortable in circulation, but it quickly became clear that this possession was not turning into real danger. There was a lack of clarity in the final third.
Al Hilal, meanwhile, showed a curious approach. They did not press high in a suffocating way, did not over-accelerate, and seemed to manage the game while waiting for an opponent mistake. When they won the ball and had space to transition, they almost always failed in the penultimate decision. And that brings us to a name that negatively defined the first half: Darwin Núñez. In the 22nd minute, Hilal had a clear counter-attack, 3 v 2, with Darwin carrying the ball. The pass was poor.
On Al Ahli’s side, the plan seemed to rely too heavily on Galeno’s pace. Lots of long balls, very few quality passes to actually exploit that depth. Ivan Toney, the league’s top scorer, was practically a spectator. Not through his own fault, but because the ball rarely arrived in usable conditions. When it did, like in the 36th minute, the final pass lacked precision.
The first half was poor. Balanced in possession, almost non-existent in clear chances. The numbers matched the feeling: very low xG, few shots on target and most of the game played far from both boxes. A big clash… without big football.
The second half did not radically change the picture. There were more transitions, more of a back-and-forth feel, but quality near goal was still missing. Bono and Mendy spent long stretches barely involved. For anyone watching, the game became increasingly sluggish, even strange by the usually entertaining Saudi Pro League standards.
Roger Ibañez was one of the few to break the monotony, with an impressive carry from his own half to the edge of the opposing box, but the move was eventually blocked. Mahrez tried his luck from set pieces, without success. And Darwin again became a symbol of Hilal’s frustration: another misplaced pass to Malcom on a potential counter that could have changed the game.
Al Ahli had their big chance too. In the 75th minute, a perfect cross, Ibañez completely free inside the six-yard box… and he headed wide in almost inexplicable fashion. A perfect summary of the match: whenever there was space, execution was missing.
The most emotional moment came in the 84th minute. Rúben Neves played an almost surgical pass, Malcom won the run, squared for Salem Al-Dawsari and the goal arrived… only to be ruled out for offside. The correct call, but a painful one for a Hilal side that, at that moment, felt they had finally found the breakthrough.
Deep into stoppage time, Ali Majrashi picked up a second yellow after a hard challenge on Theo Hernández and was sent off, putting the final stamp on a nervous, uninspired game, far below the level expected from a showdown at the top.
Post-match
The 0-0 feels fair, even if disappointing. Neither side truly deserved to win. Al Hilal make it three straight draws and, although they remain leaders, they are starting to show clear signs of attacking fatigue and an excessive dependence on the left flank. Darwin Núñez emerged as one of the night’s most negative figures, not for missing chances, but for failing almost everything that could have given fluency to the attack.
Al Ahli confirmed the defensive solidity that has carried them this far, but also showed that against teams of similar level they still lack creativity. Defending well is not always enough.
It was a big game by name, massive in the table, but small in football.