Al-Hilal returned to the top of the Roshn Saudi League table after defeating Al-Shabab 2-0 in the Riyadh Derby at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium on Friday night.
Al-Hilal had entered the eighth round of matches trailing reigning champions Al-Ittihad by one point, but took advantage of their Jeddah rivals’ 0-0 draw against Al-Fayha earlier in the day to return to the summit with three deserved points.
Al-Hilal’s goals came from Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly in the 68th minute and Serbian forward Aleksandar Mitrovic eight minutes later.
Al-Hilal now top the Saudi Pro League table with 20 points, while Al-Shabab remainon eight points in 11th place ahead of the round’s remaining matches over the weekend.
Al-Hilal’s Brazilian superstar Neymar remains without a goal for the club after having first half penalty saved by Al-Shabab goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu.
The South Korean No.1 had previously conceded three penalties in two matches against Neymar playing for his country and had told Arab News prior to the match that he was ready to face his nemesis in the SPL.
However, his heroics could not prevent the two second goals that put an end to Al-Shabab’s three match winning streak.
FollowTopics: AL-HILAL SPL RIYADH AL SHABAAB
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Ronaldo and Talisca take Al-Nassr to 3rd in Saudi Pro League
Ronaldo and Talisca take Al-Nassr to 3rd in Saudi Pro League
Updated 30 September 2023
JOHN DUERDEN
September 29, 2023
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Portuguese star linked up well with Anderson Talisca and the pair look to be enjoying themselves
Yellows fans now see their side just a point behind leaders Al-Ittihad who were held to a 0-0 draw at Al-Fayha
RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 10th of the season as Al-Nassr made it six from six in the league on Friday with a 2-1 win at Al-Tai.
The Portuguese star linked up well with Anderson Talisca and the pair look to be enjoying themselves.
The same can be said for fans of the Yellows who now see their side just a point behind leaders Al-Ittihad who were held to a 0-0 draw at Al-Fayha.
After starting the campaign with two defeats in the first two games, Al-Nassr are showing themselves to be capable of putting teams to the sword and grinding out victories when they need to.
This was more the latter, and it was a close-run thing. The visitors moved ahead just after the half hour to quieten the vociferous home fans, and it was a beauty. Ronaldo, on the edge of the area, flicked the ball up for the advancing Talisca to fire home from the right side of the box for his third in two games. It was a fifth assist of the season so far for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
The goal had been coming as Al-Nassr had been pushing forward, with Ronaldo missing good chances earlier in the game.
From one opportunity Talisca had set up his captain, running into the area and supplying the unmarked Portuguese international who, to the surprise of everyone, unleashed a shot that lacked power and enabled Victor Braga to save.
Ronaldo had a slightly tougher chance six minutes before the break. Marcelo Brozovic made use of plenty of space in the middle of the Al-Tai half to chip a perfect pass into the area. On the right corner of the six-yard box, the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star fired a half-volley just wide of the post.
The half ended with a spectacular overhead kick by Ronaldo finding Talisca at the far post but, while the Brazilian rounded the goalkeeper to roll the ball home, he was just offside.
It was not all one-way traffic, though. Al-Tai wanted a penalty early in the second half and came close to an equalizer on the hour, but Nawaf Al-Aqidi got down quickly at his near post to push a smart free-kick from Anselmo around the post.
Ronaldo looked to have provided his side’s second on 63 minutes but his header was palmed away acrobatically by the busy Braga.
And then, with 11 minutes remaining, Al-Tai did score. Abdulrahman Al-Harthi produced a beautiful pass that sent Virgil Misidjan sprinting free of three Al-Nassr defenders and the Dutch forward rolled the ball home.
A draw looked likely, but Al-Nassr grabbed the winner with three minutes left as Anselmo handled a Talisca header and Ronaldo fired home from the spot.
Al-Nassr now have 18 points from eight games and are breathing down the neck of champions and leaders Al-Ittihad, who were held to a goalless draw at Al-Fahya.
Al-Ittihad, again without the injured striker Karim Benzema, had the better chances in the first half.
Abderrazak Hamdallah was denied at close range by Vladimir Stojkovic. The Serbian stopper could then only watch as a thunderbolt from Ahmed Bamsaud rocketed back off the crossbar.
Al-Fayha had their chances but the game remained goalless.
Al-Ittihad stay top but are now level on points with Al-Taawoun who won 3-1 at Al-Hazm.
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Updated 29 September 2023
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September 29, 2023
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The club is set to mark the their diamond jubilee with a match against the Giallorossi
RIYADH: One of Saudi Arabia’s oldest football club is set to mark the their diamond jubilee with a match against Roma, one of Italy’s iconic clubs.
The Saudi club was founded in Riyadh in 1947 and their name, Shabab, means youth in Arabic.
Playing on the club’s youthful name and its long history, Saudi entertainment chief Turki Alalshikh wrote on X that the “Old man of clubs” will mark its diamond jubilee by facing the Giallorossi during Riyadh Season, a key fixture on the Saudi entertainment calendar.
Alalshikh did not mention when the match will take place, nor did Shabab.
The Riyadh club have won the Saudi league six times along with half a dozen national cups.
Roma, who have made a slow start to their Serie A campaign this season with only six points from 5 games, have won the league three times and league competitions 11 times.
The next Supercoppa Italiana will be played in Saudi Arabia on Jan. 4, 2024, with the final on Jan. 8 and will see champions Inter attempt to defend the cup from Napoli, Lazio and Fiorentina. Super cup games have been hosted in the Kingdom since 2018, except for two years due to Covid restrictions.
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Al-Hilal to play home games at Boulevard Hall in Riyadh
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Updated 29 September 2023
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The project has a capacity of 26,000 seats and is expected to be handed to the club in January
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal have found a new home for their matches this season with the under-construction Boulevard Hall in Riyadh.
Entertainment authority chief Turki Al-Sheikh said during a live on Instagram that they have reached a SAR40 million a year agreement with Al-Hilal president Fahd bin Nafel with a grace period of the first 6 months.
Al-Sheikh thanked Prince AlWaleed bin Talal, a long standing backer of Al-Hilal and founder of the Kingdom Holding Company, for contributing SAR25 million, thus renaming the stadium the Kingdom Arena.
The project has a capacity of 26,000 seats and is expected to be handed to the club in January.
Bin Nafel said the new filed will meet all requirements of the Saudi Pro League, FIFA and, AFC.
Al-Hilal will play the first match in the new stadium in January for the Riyadh Season Cup.
Per the agreement, Al-Sheikh said the Kingdom Arena will host entertainment events off season.
Bin Nafel said the club is working on packages for foreign tourist where they come and spend two days in Riyadh and visit entertainment hubs in addition to attending the games.
The new facility holds 20 VIP cabins and a sky lounge with a capacity of 360 persons.
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Al-Shabab goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu ready to face nemesis Neymar in Riyadh derby
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Updated 30 September 2023
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South Korean No. 1 has conceded 3 penalties for his country taken by Al-Hilal’s Brazilian star
Kim Seung-gyu: I hope he doesn’t get a penalty this time, but I will do my best to save it even if it won’t be easy as he is one of the best in the world
RIYADH: Kim Seung-gyu is ready to face Neymar again. The Al-Shabab goalkeeper is looking forward to the Riyadh derby against Al-Hilal on Friday more than most players would be.
It is a chance for the team to continue their recent good form after a poor start to the season as well as an opportunity for the 32-year-old shot stopper to cross swords once more with the Brazilian star who has yet to score in Saudi Arabia since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain in August.
The South Korean No. 1, who has made more than 70 appearances for the Asian giants, faced the South American twice in 2022, first in a Seoul friendly and then in the Round of 16 clash against Brazil at the World Cup.
Neymar scored three penalties against Kim in those two matches — which the five-time world champions won with a combined score of 9-1 — sending him the wrong way each time.
Kim told Arab News: “I didn’t think I would play against him again so soon. I am excited to face him and am ready.
“I hope he doesn’t get a penalty this time, but I will do my best to save it even if it won’t be easy as he is one of the best in the world. Keeping a clean sheet is a priority for me as we want to win the game.”
That was not looking likely a few weeks ago as the six-time champions started the season poorly. Just two points were taken from the first five games, the low point a 4-0 loss at Al-Nassr, but Al-Shabab have won the last three, two in the league and one in the King’s Cup.
Three goals from the last two games from Belgian international and new signing Yannick Carrasco is one reason why the team are heading in the right direction after the slow start and Moroccan captain Romain Saiss has added some stability at the back.
Kim said: “There were some internal changes inside the club that needed to be done.
“We didn’t bring that many players in during the summer and as everyone knows, most of the other teams brought in a lot of players and filled their foreign quota of eight players and we didn’t have that when the season kicked off.
“We then brought in some very good players just before the window closed and we are on the right track. We had a slow start, but we are moving now and let’s see what happens later in the season. We are all feeling confident,” he added.
Kim moved to Riyadh in 2022, coming to Saudi Arabia from the Japanese J1 League where he starred for Vissel Kobe and Kashiwa Reysol. The glovesman who also won the 2012 Asian Champions League with South Korea’s Ulsan Horangi, has witnessed enough in his time in the country to see the changes.
“The standard of play is definitely improving all around the league and now I am playing against players that I only saw on TV before. As a goalkeeper it can be tough, but I am learning a lot and enjoying it.
“The league is getting better and better and that is good for all of us, and we have to keep working hard,” Kim said.
And that goes for the domestic goalkeepers too. There have been concerns expressed that there are few teams among the 18 in the top tier that give minutes to Saudi shot stoppers. At times, it has been left to Al-Nassr’s Nawaf Al-Aqidi and Abdulquddus Atiah at Al-Wehda to fly the flag.
New national team coach Roberto Mancini would surely love to have more Saudi Arabian goalkeepers in action in the league. It has been suggested that the country could follow the example of South Korea where only homegrown No. 1s are allowed between the sticks in the K League. Kim, however, does not think that is the correct path to go down.
“There are more positives for the Saudi Arabian goalkeepers themselves as well as the country. When I was in Japan, there were a lot of foreign goalkeepers and many people raised this same question, but as a professional player, you can’t take a spot in the starting line-up for granted, you must fight for it. You have to challenge your team-mates and then the chance comes, and this is how you develop as a player and then show what you can do on the pitch.
“I think this is a positive, Saudi Arabian goalkeepers have to come and fight for their places, and they will be better players,” he added.
Kim noted that the influx of world-class talent into the league had helped him to improve his game. He also pointed out that when he now reported for international duty, his South Korean team-mates were much more curious about what was going on in Saudi Arabia.
He said: “There are a lot of questions now when we meet up. They ask me about the big players coming in and they want to know what the league is like and what has changed. It is not just the players, but everyone is now much more interested.”
And they will be watching to see if Kim can get the better of Neymar on Friday.
