Not playing for 6 months, Neymar still surpassed Ronaldo and Benzema to add the Saudi Arabian Super Cup to his trophy collection
(Associated Press) – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Thursday’s Saudi Super Cup final match between Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad resulted in a 4-1 victory for Al-Hilal, allowing them to maintain their potential to win an incredible four soccer trophies this year.
The Super Cup trophy, which was lifted in Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, is the first of the season for the Riyadh side. However, it is highly doubtful that this will be the only trophy they win this season. The team is currently 12 points ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, with just seven games left to play.
Additionally, Al-Hilal, who is currently in the semifinals of both the Asian Champions League and the Saudi King’s Cup, has successfully extended their world record winning streak for top-tier teams to a total of 34 straight games across all competitions.
The harm was done to Al-Hilal by two goals scored by Brazilian winger Malcom three days after Al-Hilal had defeated Al-Nassr in the semifinal. Ronaldo was sent off for elbowing Ali Al-Bulaihi during the match, which was the reason for the sending off. Late goals scored by Salem Al-Dawsari and Nasser Al-Dawsari solidified the victory for their team.
The statement was made by Malcom to Saudi television. “It was a difficult game, and I am very happy to score two goals,” he said. “We are also happy to collect our first title of the season but we are chasing more trophies.”
Karim Benzema, a striker for Ittihad who was acquired from Real Madrid in the summer of 2017, was unable to find the back of the net, while his colleague Abderrazak Hamdallah made up for missing a penalty by scoring a goal.
The Moroccan forward, on the other hand, was responsible for a contentious event that occurred at the conclusion of the game. It appeared that he was involved in a confrontation with a spectator who was standing close to the pitch. It was security personnel that led the supporter away from the area.
A single game between the league champions and the King’s Cup winners was the original format of the Super Cup; however, in 2023, the Super Cup was expanded to include the runners-up from both championships. Additionally, it was relocated to Abu Dhabi.
On Tuesday, Al-Hilal will make its way back to the United Arab Emirates to compete against Al-Ain in the opening leg of the semifinals of the Asian Champions League. Additionally, the team is attempting to achieve a record sixth continental championship.
After being taken over by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund known as the Public Investment Fund, which is overseen by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the club has spent approximately 350 million euros ($380 million) on player transfers, which could potentially set a new record for the club’s season.
