National coach Saad Al-Shehri, manager of Al-Ettifaq, acknowledged Al-Hilal's superiority and deserved victory in their match in the 22nd round of the Saudi Professional League. In the post-match press conference, Al-Shehri offered a frank analysis of the reasons for the loss, admitting that his team was unable to match the league leaders' overwhelming attacking prowess, which ultimately decided the match in favor of "The Boss.".
Al-Shehri said: “I congratulate Al-Hilal on this well-deserved victory. As we expected, it was an extremely difficult match against a team with exceptional quality that competes for every possible title.” He added: “We devised a tactical plan to manage the game and tried to be effective in our attacking transitions, but we weren't successful in converting the chances we created into goals. On the other hand, Al-Hilal possesses both individual and collective solutions that enabled them to secure the win.”.
The general context and Al-Hilal's dominance this season
This match comes amidst an exceptional season for Al-Hilal under the leadership of Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus. The team is soaring to the top of the Roshan League with a comfortable lead over its closest rivals, achieving a historic and consecutive winning streak that has placed it among the world's elite clubs. Al-Hilal exemplifies the strength that international talent has brought to the Saudi league, boasting top-class stars such as Serbian Aleksandar Mitrović, Sergej Milinković-Savić, and Brazilian Malcom, alongside key Saudi national team players like Salem Al-Dawsari and Mohamed Kanno, creating an attacking force that is difficult for any defense to contain.
The impact and importance of the result for the Saudi League
Domestically, this victory strengthened Al Hilal's grip on the league title, bringing them one step closer to reclaiming it. As for Al Ettifaq, despite the loss, Al Shehri emphasized that his team gained valuable lessons, stating, "Today's defeat doesn't negate the effort we put in. We came away with some positive takeaways that we will build upon for the future." The importance of these matches lies in raising the level of competitiveness in the Saudi league, as they force other teams to improve their defensive and tactical systems to counter the attacking prowess of the top teams. This, in turn, elevates the overall quality of Saudi football and attracts the attention of followers both regionally and internationally.
Al-Shehri pointed out that one of Al-Hilal's greatest strengths lies in set pieces, which the team exploited to score the first goal. He concluded his remarks by emphasizing the difficulty of the defensive task, saying: “It is very difficult to stop players with the qualities of Al-Hilal's stars. Our focus wasn't on just one player; rather, we tried to neutralize the threat posed by the attacking quartet of Salem Al-Dawsari , Savic , Mitrovic , Kanno, who had a great game, but ultimately, their individual quality made the difference.”
