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The leader does not refuse gifts.
Al-Hilal used the reward of a win they lost to Al-Qadisiya to resume their fight for the top spot after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Al-Khalij in Round 31 of the Roshan League on Tuesday evening.
Al-Zaim narrowed the gap with their yellow rivals to just two points, with 79 points for Al-Nasr and 77 for Al-Hilal.
Shocking start for Al Hilal…quick reaction
Al-Khaleij imposed their rhythm early on and were able to open the scoring in the 11th minute through Joshua King, who converted from a corner kick to give his side the lead.
This is how Al-Haleij scores the first goals 🟡#Crescent_Gulf |: #Roshan_Saudi_League pic.twitter.com/lD37MKFEXq
— Eight Sports (@thmanyahsports) May 5, 2026
Despite the home side’s strong start, Al Hilal gradually regained their composure and began to threaten goalkeeper Anthony Morris with multiple attempts from Malcolm and Mohamed Kano.
The turning point came in the 34th minute when Sergej Milinkovic-Savic equalized with a close-range header after Ruben Neves’ perfect pass to end the first half at 1-1.
Purpose: ⚽️
Savic brought Al Hilal back and equalized against Al Khalij 🔥 #Crescent_Gulf |: #Roshan_Saudi_League pic.twitter.com/moeaN4xJ2e— Eight Sports (@thmanyahsports) May 5, 2026
Second half excitement… missed opportunities
With the start of the second half, the two teams exchanged attacks in an open duel. Al Khaleej almost restored the lead when Majed Kanaba’s shot hit the post in the 52nd minute, before goalkeeper Yassin Bunu got the better of Paulo Fernandez’s dangerous effort.
At the other end, Al Hilal increased their pressure with shots from outside the area and successive tries, notably from Savic and Nasser Al Dosari, but Morris’ brilliance prevented them from scoring.
The match saw interruptions due to injuries, the most notable of which was an injury to Fernandez, which forced Al-Halei to make an emergency substitution.
In the 65th minute, Savic scored a second goal for “Al Khalij” from Nasser Al Dosari’s pass, but the Latvian referee Andris Trimanis decided to cancel it after examining the video technology.
A decisive goal and a thrilling finish
Al Hilal kept up the pressure in the closing minutes and in the 79th minute were able to translate their advantage through Sultan Mandash, who scored the winner with a left-wing shot from the penalty area, taking advantage of the Gulf players’ defence.
Sultan Mandesh’s goal is 🔵🔥#Crescent_Gulf |: #Roshan_Saudi_League pic.twitter.com/nOqOlzsk5u
— Eight Sports (@thmanyahsports) May 5, 2026
After the goal, Al-Khaleij tried to restore the result but ran into a strong defensive organization from Al-Hilal, who almost added to their lead in the 95th minute with a surprise attack that ended with Karim Benzema scoring, but the video technology proved he was offside, so the match ended in a 2–1 victory for Al-Az.
