Arabian Weekly report
RIYADH — Kalidou Koulibaly praised Al Hilal’s resilience after the reigning champions came from both a goal and a man down to defeat Al Fateh 2-1 at the Kingdom Arena on Saturday, closing the gap to Roshn Saudi League leaders Al Nassr to a single point.
The visitors struck first when Mourad Batna converted from the penalty spot after being fouled by Ruben Neves in the ninth minute.
However, Darwin Nunez marked his return from injury by equalizing midway through the first half, rounding Fernando Pacheco after a pinpoint through-ball from Koulibaly. It was the Uruguayan’s fourth goal in six league appearances.
Despite Nasser Al Dawsari’s red card in the 79th minute, Al Hilal refused to back down. With two minutes left, Neves redeemed his early mistake by scoring the decisive penalty after Sattam Tambakti was adjudged to have handled inside the area.
The victory preserved Al Hilal’s unbeaten record this season and extended their winning streak across all competitions to 11 matches.
“Even with 10 players, we wanted to win the game and thanks to God, we did,” Koulibaly said after being named Man of the Match.
“It was tough, but we showed a lot of character. Every team plays their best against Al Hilal, and the most important thing is to keep getting three points.”
Looking ahead, Al Hilal will be hoping for a favor from Al Khaleej when they face table-toppers Al Nassr on Sunday.