Gabriel Martinelli's Late Header Propels Al Hilal Back to Saudi Pro League Summit

Gabriel Martinelli's dramatic late winner against Al Hazem has propelled Al Hilal back to the pinnacle of the Saudi Pro League. In a parallel fixture, Al Ahli secured a hard-fought 3-2 away victory over Al Fayha.

Al Hilal asserted dominance over Al Hazem, generating 19 scoring opportunities. However, they were repeatedly thwarted by a series of missed chances and the exceptional performance of Al Hazem's goalkeeper, Jindrich Stanek. Simone Inzaghi's squad appeared destined for their first draw of the season until Brazilian forward Martinelli, a summer acquisition from Arsenal, found himself unmarked in the box to head home the decisive goal in the 89th minute.

Reflecting on the match, Inzaghi expressed his satisfaction: "I am happy with the victory and with the outstanding performance and high focus shown by everyone. We created many opportunities during the course of the match."

This crucial win reinstalled Hilal at the top of the league standings with 24 points, establishing a two-point lead over Al Qadsiah. The victory sets the stage for a highly anticipated confrontation between the top two teams on Friday.

"We have an important match ahead of us against Al Qadsiah, a team with high-level players and a capable coaching staff, and they have been performing well recently. We will work on preparing in the best possible way to achieve victory," Inzaghi added.

Al Ahli's victory was spearheaded by a brace from Artem Bondarenko and a penalty converted by Firas Al Buraikan. Al Fayha initially took the lead in the 45th minute through a powerful strike from Hugo Moura. Bondarenko equalized in injury time, powering in a header following excellent wing play from Saad Balobaid. Al Buraikan then put Ahli ahead from the penalty spot after Matheus Goncalves was fouled, but Jason leveled the score for Fayha in the 65th minute with a skillful free-kick. Bondarenko secured the three points for Al Ahli in the 70th minute, scoring his second goal after a scramble in the penalty area.

Al Ahli coach Marino Pusic commented on the team's resilience: “The spirit was present today to come back in the result. Despite making some mistakes, I praise the players for their fighting spirit and for achieving the victory.”

Pusic also praised Bondarenko, a player he previously coached at Shakhtar Donetsk: