الخلیج مقابل الهلال

Al Hilal came from behind to claim a hard-fought 2-1 win away at Al Khaleej, with Sultan Mandash's 79th-minute finish settling a contest that stayed alive until the very last second, a Karim Benzema goal chalked off by VAR deep in stoppage time adding one final twist. Al Khaleej made a bright start when Joshua King broke the deadlock in the 11th minute, handing the hosts a deserved lead. Al Hilal responded before the break through Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who guided home a precise Rúben Neves delivery in the 34th minute to restore parity. The second half was one-way traffic, and Mandash eventually broke Al Khaleej's resistance with a clinical finish ten minutes from time. Both sides picked up bookings in a competitive encounter, though neither finished with ten men. The three points keep Al Hilal firmly in the title race, piling pressure on leaders Al Nassr. For Al Khaleej, already safe for another season, it was a spirited display despite the defeat.