RIYADH — Ruben Neves scored twice from the penalty spot as Al Hilal survived a second-half fightback from newly promoted Al Faisaly to open their 2026-27 Roshn Saudi League campaign with a 4-2 victory on Friday.Karim Benzema opened the scoring from the penalty spot at Kingdom Arena before Neves converted another and Malcom tapped home to give Simone Inzaghi’s side a commanding 3-0 lead at halftime.But Al Faisaly, back in the Saudi top flight for the first time since 2021, threatened a remarkable comeback with two goals in five minutes around the hour mark to cut the deficit to one.Al Hilal weathered the pressure before Neves converted his second penalty late on to secure all three points and complete his brace, earning the Portugal international the Man of the Match award.Despite the victory, Neves was critical of Al Hilal’s second-half performance after the hosts allowed Al Faisaly back into a match they appeared to have under control.“First 45 minutes, we just controlled all the game,” Neves said. “Second half, we dropped a little bit the quality, we dropped a little bit the focus, and in this league, it’s not allowed anymore.”“We need to improve. We cannot concede two goals playing at home, winning 3-0, controlling all the game.”Al Hilal entered the new campaign seeking to go one better after finishing runners-up to rivals Al Nassr in a dramatic 2025-26 title race despite going unbeaten throughout the league season.Neves acknowledged Al Hilal are still working toward peak condition following preseason but said taking three points from the opener was crucial.“Physically, we’re still not in our best,” he said. “We are coming from a lot of work in pre-season; we are finding now our best form. It’s normal in the first games of the season.“It was important for us to get the three points. It was important to show that we can play like we played in the first half, because it was very good.”For Neves, the result represented the ideal start on paper, even if the performance left room for improvement.“In terms of points, yes, it’s the perfect way to start: three points, four goals,” he said. “In terms of performance, it’s the perfect way to start like we did in the first half. Second half, we need to improve.”
RIYADH — Ruben Neves scored twice from the penalty spot as Al Hilal survived a second-half fightback from newly promoted Al Faisaly to open their 2026-27 Roshn Saudi League campaign with a 4-2 victory on Friday.Karim Benzema opened the scoring from the penalty spot at Kingdom Arena before Neves converted another and Malcom tapped home to give Simone Inzaghi’s side a commanding 3-0 lead at halftime.But Al Faisaly, back in the Saudi top flight for the first time since 2021, threatened a remarkable comeback with two goals in five minutes around the hour mark to cut the deficit to one.Al Hilal weathered the pressure before Neves converted his second penalty late on to secure all three points and complete his brace, earning the Portugal international the Man of the Match award.Despite the victory, Neves was critical of Al Hilal’s second-half performance after the hosts allowed Al Faisaly back into a match they appeared to have under control.“First 45 minutes, we just controlled all the game,” Neves said. “Second half, we dropped a little bit the quality, we dropped a little bit the focus, and in this league, it’s not allowed anymore.”“We need to improve. We cannot concede two goals playing at home, winning 3-0, controlling all the game.”Al Hilal entered the new campaign seeking to go one better after finishing runners-up to rivals Al Nassr in a dramatic 2025-26 title race despite going unbeaten throughout the league season.Neves acknowledged Al Hilal are still working toward peak condition following preseason but said taking three points from the opener was crucial.“Physically, we’re still not in our best,” he said. “We are coming from a lot of work in pre-season; we are finding now our best form. It’s normal in the first games of the season.“It was important for us to get the three points. It was important to show that we can play like we played in the first half, because it was very good.”For Neves, the result represented the ideal start on paper, even if the performance left room for improvement.“In terms of points, yes, it’s the perfect way to start: three points, four goals,” he said. “In terms of performance, it’s the perfect way to start like we did in the first half. Second half, we need to improve.”
