Five-star Al Hilal thrash Al Orobah

An emphatic second-half display in Sakaka saw Al Hilal run riot in a 5-0 triumph over Al Orobah at Al Jouf University Stadium on Saturday to reclaim the top spot in the Roshn Saudi League.

Both sides went into the matchweek 14 fixture with a raft of injuries blighting their ranks. Al Hilal travelled north without club captain Salem Al Dawsari and top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic, while the hosts had to do without the services of centre-back Kurt Zouma, midfielder Jean Michael Seri and playmaker Johann Berg Gudmundsson while midfield enforcer Karlo Muhar missed out through suspension and winger Cristian Tello was only fit enough to make the bench.

Al Hilal came racing out of the blocks and their early attacking endeavours were rewarded with a penalty when winger Mohammed Al Qahtani was brought down inside the box. Ruben Neves stepped up and confidently converted from the spot for the opener inside 16 minutes.

The defending RSL champions thought they had doubled their lead in the 25^th minute when Sergej Milinkovic-Savic headed home Renan Lodi’s cross from the left, but the Brazilian full-back had strayed offside in the build-up.

The floodgates opened in the second half and the writing was already on the wall when Ali Al Bulayhi, wearing the armband on the night, repaid head coach Jorge Jesus’ faith, having endured a difficult night in Al Hilal’s King’s Cup elimination at the hands of rivals Al Ittihad a few days earlier. The centre-back was perfectly positioned to guide Savic’s cross from the left into the back of the net with a composed header to double his side’s advantage two minutes after the restart.

Midway through the second half, Lodi added his name to the scoresheet. Darting into the opposition box down the left, the former Sevilla man picked up his compatriot Malcom’s threaded pass and rifled into the roof of the net from a narrow angle for 3-0.

Deputising for Mitrovic, youngster Marcos Leonardo got in on the act in the 75^th minute. The Brazilian’s first effort from Joao Cancelo’s cross rattled the crossbar, before falling for substitute Moteb Al Harbi whose rebound shot was saved by goalkeeper Gaetan Coucke, only for the ball to find its way back to Leonardo who buried it home for the fourth.

There was still time for a fifth Al Hilal goal just minutes later. This time, a full Brazilian attack saw Malcom feed and overhead pass for the onrushing Lodi who expertly cut it back across the penalty area for Leonardo to confidently hammer home his second of the night.

The result, coupled with Al Ittihad's 1-1 draw at Al Fayha, means Al Hilal draw level with Al Ittihad on 37 points at the summit, with Al Hilal leading by virtue of a superior goal-difference.

A heavy home defeat for Al Oroba was watched from the stands by new head coach Adnan Hamad who will have a monumental task in trying to keep them afloat, with the Al Jouf side sitting just one point above the relegation zone.