It stands as one of the most unexpected results in the Roshn Saudi League this season.
Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia’s record-setting champions, had established an unprecedented 46-match unbeaten streak in the competition. During this remarkable run, which delivered both the RSL title and King’s Cup, they had assembled 34 consecutive victories โ a sequence so impressive it earned recognition from Guinness as a world record. Al Hilal topped the RSL standings once again, with a second straight championship seemingly within their grasp.
However, on November 23 at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium, their dominance crumbled.
Under former Al Hilal manager Georgios Donis, Al Khaleej secured a stunning 3-2 victory. As halftime approached, the hosts trailed 2-0, with Marcos Leonardo and Aleksandar Mitrovic capitalizing on assists from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Salem Al Dawsari โ further evidence of Al Hilal’s attacking prowess.
Yet Abdullah Al Salem reduced the deficit just before the break, reacting quickly after Yassine Bono saved Konstantinos Fortounis’ penalty. Two minutes into the second half, Al Salem struck again.
The in-form Saudi striker had impressively drawn the match level, recording his third consecutive brace in the league and moving alongside Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo into joint-third in the 2024-25 scoring rankings.
With just five minutes remaining, Fabio Martins connected with Khaled Narey’s cross to score the winner, sending the 17,000-plus crowd into ecstatic celebration. Al Hilal’s historic run was halted, leaving them stunned as they departed Dammam.
What made the result even more extraordinary was Al Khaleej’s previous record against Al Hilal โ they had managed just one point from their previous 14 league encounters.
Yet against overwhelming odds, they secured all three points. They handed Al Hilal their first RSL defeat since May 2022, ending a 550-day unbeaten streak. After nine wins and one draw in their opening 10 league fixtures of the 2024-25 campaign, the champions had finally fallen.
The following night, Al Hilal lost their position atop the table, replaced by Al Ittihad. While the two clubs have exchanged positions since, with seven rounds remaining in the 2024-25 season, the Jeddah club currently leads the standings.
This adds significant intrigue as Al Hilal’s rivalry with Al Khaleej resumes on Thursday. Avenging that defeat from five months ago is not just a matter of pride โ it seems essential if Jorge Jesus’ team hopes to overcome the seven-point gap to Al Ittihad.
Currently on a disappointing run of three wins from nine RSL matches, the champions desperately need a boost. The additional motivation from that surprising Matchweek 11 defeat could potentially revitalize their campaign to retain the trophy.
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