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DUBAI: Al-Hilal added the 2019-20 King’s Cup to its growing list of trophies after beating rivals Riyadh Al-Nassr 2-1 in the delayed final at the King Fahd International Stadium in the Saudi capital on Saturday.
The win was Al-Hilal’s ninth in the competition and means the club is now in possession of the AFC Champions League, the Saudi Professional League and the King’s Cup.
Due to disruptions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, last season’s finale had been postponed from May, and the rescheduled match fell just a week after Al-Hilal defeated the same rival 2-0 in their SPL matchup. 2020-21. at the King Saud University Stadium.
Al-Nassr appeared to be clearly on fire from the very first whistle, no doubt in an attempt to banish the sad form that has seen them suffer their worst start in a Saudi Professional League campaign.
Sultan Al-Ghanam, one of his standout players in last week’s 2-0 loss, was booked after just three minutes, which would have consequences for him later in the match.
But it was Răzvan Lucescu’s team that took the lead on their first real chance in the 10th minute, a corner kick from Sebastian Giovinco headed by Jang Huyn-soo that passed Al-Nassr goalkeeper Brad Jones.
Encouraged by the early goal, Al-Hilal was briefly on the front foot and Yasser Al Shahrani could have doubled his lead five minutes later, but after a good run down the right channel his shot was blocked and Jones was able to recover comfortably.
At the other end, Nordin Amrabat and Pity Martinez were getting some cheer from the right wing, but their last pass was often missing, and Nassr’s dangerous man, Abderrazak Hamdallah, remained isolated for long periods.
In the 29th minute, Martinez should have squared the game after another good play down the left wing, but his shot from close range hit Habib Al-Wotayan’s near post and went for a goal kick.
Al Nassr remained the best team and Amrabat’s wiles in the 33rd minute led Gustavo Cuellar to a headlong challenge that earned the Colombian midfielder a yellow card. But the draw was still elusive and they would soon regret not taking advantage of their period of dominance.
Five minutes from the end of the first half, a wonderful pass from Carillo found Salem Al-Dawsari inside the Al-Nassr penalty area, but Sultan Al-Ghanam’s entry seemed to have avoided danger. However, after consulting the VAR the referee sanctioned a penalty.
Bafetimbi Gomis sent Jones down the wrong path to give Al-Hilal a comfortable 2-0 lead at the break.
Al-Nassr coach Rui Vitoria tried to turn things around at halftime by introducing Ali Lajami and Ayman Yahya for Al-Ghanam and Abdulmajeed Al-Sulayhem, but the changes did little to turn the tide after the restart.
In fact, it was Al-Hilal who appeared to be the most energetic team and within 10 minutes of the second half, Al-Dawsari’s brilliant run nearly led to the third goal, but his center was cleared by Al’s desperate defense. -Nassr.
With 20 minutes remaining, substitute Yahya brought the final to life with an excellent left-foot shot in the middle of the deficit. Mohamed Kanno immediately replaced Andrea Carillo to bolster Al-Hilal’s defense when Al-Nassr threw everything he had at his weary opponents.
The late attack almost paid off, but with 13 minutes remaining, Al-Wotayan made a spectacular save from a magnificently struck volley by Hamdallah to preserve Al-Hilal’s lead.
Al-Hilal himself could have finished the match in the 90th minute, but Jones saved Al-Dawsari’s shot and they had to endure a more tense six minutes of injury time. But despite holding back his opponents, Al-Nassr could not find a late draw.
After receiving the trophy, Al-Hilal captain Salman Al-Faraj responded to recent concerns about the team’s performance by saying that winning three trophies in less than a year speaks for itself, and that despite the inevitable drops in standards in certain games, there were not many more players can do.
“I repeat that this is an exceptional season for Al-Hilal, we dedicate it to all of our fans who we continue to miss within the stadiums,” he said. “We promised them that we will win the Asian Champions League, the League and the King’s Cup. We always said the same thing to each other and we kept our promise. We weren’t very good today, but in matches like this you just need to win the cup, you don’t need a performance. Al-Nassr was better in the second half, but we were better in the details, and we took advantage of it.
He added that the coach had instructed them to remain calm and not be swayed by the recent victory over their opponents.
“Al-Nassr hasn’t had a good start to the season, and we beat them a few days ago in the league,” Al-Faraj said. “We knew they would come back strong, so we had to be the team to stay calm and in control of our pace.”
Al-Hilal’s Italian playmaker, Giovinco, celebrated the victory, insisting that the unconvincing performance in the final had little consequence.
“It was a difficult game really, but in a final you don’t have to play well, you just have to win,” he said. “Above all this, it was important because we closed a year in which we made a treble. It was difficult but in the end we deserve it ”.
Meanwhile, Carrillo promised fans that more will come from him and the team.
“I’m happy with the third trophy, the most important thing is that the whole group is doing very well,” said the Peruvian. “This is my third year at the club and things have gone very well, the football here is of a high level. I have so much more to give in the future. “
