Al-Hilal slipped behind Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League title race despite fighting back to earn a 2-2 draw with Damac on Saturday.
Al-Ittihad’s 2-1 win at Al-Taawoun on Thursday – earned via a 95th-minute goal from Karim Benzema – had taken them three points clear of Al-Hilal at the summit, albeit with an inferior goal difference.
Jorge Jesus’ team were on course to return to the top when Marcos Leonardo put them ahead after 32 minutes in Abha, only for mid-table Damac to fight back.
Habib Diallo equalised early in the second half and then, after Ruben Neves saw a penalty brilliantly beaten away by Florin Nita, the Senegal striker swept home to make it 2-1.
Former Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic blasted home after weaving his way into the area in the 77th minute, but Al-Hilal could not find a late winner.
They remain two points adrift of Al-Ittihad and six clear of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, while Damac are 11th in the table.
The match ends with a draw. #DAMHIL pic.twitter.com/zsvyfMFWmi
— AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) February 8, 2025
Data Debrief: Al-Hilal rue missed chances
Al-Hilal generated chances worth a huge 3.13 expected goals (xG) in this match, attempting 22 shots and hitting the target on 10 occasions.
They have only bettered that former tally on three occasions all season – registering 4.28 xG in a record-equalling 9-0 win over Al Fateh and 4.41 xG in a 3-2 win against Al-Raed.
Their biggest chance came at 1-1, when Neves’ penalty – struck towards the bottom-left corner – was brilliantly saved by Nita. It was Neves’ first unsuccessful penalty in the Saudi Pro League, on his fourth attempt.
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