Serbians strike for Al Hilal, Aouar and Dembele deliver winners

Al Kholood 0-1 Al Ittihad

A late Houssem Aouar strike was the difference as Al Ittihad came away from Qassim with a valuable 1-0 victory against newly promoted Al Kholood on Saturday’s early kick-off.

On their first-ever Roshn Saudi League appearance, the side from Ar Rass looked solid throughout, defending resolutely and looking to hit the 2022-23 champions on the counter. Indeed, they held out until deep into added time.

The hosts could have stunned their guilded opponents inside the opening 15 minutes when veteran defender Mohammed Jahfali sent a 50-yard pass for Myziane Maolida, the forward latching onto it, rounding debutant goalkeeper Pedrag Rajkovc and dispatching the ball towards the Al Ittihad goal.

A heroic goal-line clearance was needed from defender Luiz Felipe, but came at the cost of an injury for the former Lazio man, who had to be stretched off. He was replaced by Mohanad Al Shanqiti.

Facing his former club on his first match since leaving Al Ittihad, goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe produced a series of exceptional saves to keep the scores level. However, the Brazilian was left with no chance of rescuing his team when substitute Abdulrahman Al Obud arrived at the byline and squared for Aouar. With the goal at his mercy, the high-profile summer signing fired home the 94th-minute winner.

Al Okhdood 0-3 Al Hilal

Unbeaten for the duration of the 2023-24 campaign, champions Al Hilal began their RSL title defence strongly as Serbian duo Aleksandar Mitrovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic delivered the goals in a thumping 3-0 win against Al Okhdood at Prince Hathloul Sports City in Najran.

Mitrovic wasted no time in his pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo’s golden boot - he finished last season with 28 goals, seven behind the Portuguese icon - the Serbian converting inside four minutes, tapping-in from close range following Abdullah Al Hamdan’s cross from the right.

Six minutes before the break, the same duo combined again. This time, Al Hamdan collected Mohammed Al Qahtani’s pass down the right and chipped a cross that was met by Mitrovic, whose powerful header doubled his tally for the night.

Then, moments before the half-time whistle, the win was put beyond doubt. Milinkovic-Savic stepped up and curled a stunning free-kick from 20 yards into the back of the net to complete a win that puts Al Hilal top of the table from the get-go.

Al Shabab 0-1 Al Ettifaq

A tense affair in Riyadh saw visiting Al Ettifaq come out on top thanks to a late Moussa Dembele strike at Al Shabab Club Stadium. Steven Gerrard’s side finished four points above their opponents last season, ending the 2023-24 campaign in sixth place, while Al Shabab were eighth in the table.

Wearing the captain’s armband and the No.10 shirt for the first time, Yannick Carrasco was presented with a golden opportunity to open the scoring midway through the first half. The Belgian international was teed up inside the box by Haroune Camara, but scuffed his shot, sending it high and wide.

Minutes later, it was Giacomo Bonaventura's turn in front of goal. The Italian midfielder, a summer addition from Italy's Fiorentina, rose highest to head Nawaf Al Saadi’s pinpoint cross from the left and beat goalkeeper Marek Rodak, only for the effort to ricochet off the crossbar.

The winning goal arrived in the 74th minute, when a long Alvaro Medran pass was intercepted by Gutsavo Cuellar, although the ball then fell for Dembele. The Frenchman collected possession and sent a superb curling drive from 25 yards into the far corner to start the Dammam side’s campaign with a win.