Riyadh (AFP)
Al-Hilal qualified for the semi-finals of the Saudi King’s Cup in football, by defeating its arch-rivals Al-Nassr 2-1 on Monday.
Al-Nassr advanced in the 17th minute through Brazilian Anderson Taliska, but Nigerian Odion Ighalo scored the equalizer for Al-Hilal in the 62nd minute, so Salem Al-Dosari scored the winning goal and qualifying in the 80th minute from a penalty kick.
Al-Hilal faces in the semi-finals with its young neighbor, who in turn defeated Al-Ahly with two goals by Brazilian Carlos Junior (49 and 86 through a penalty kick), against a goal by Croatian Filip Bradaric (60).
Caution was the title of the first minutes of the derby confrontation, with a relative advantage for Al Hilal, especially at the level of possession, before Talisca surprised everyone by scoring the goal to advance to victory in the 17th minute with a header, Abdullah Mayouf was unable to block it after a distinctive cross from Cameroonian Vincent Abu Bakr.
Al-Hilal returned to impose its control amid the decline of victory to maintain its progress and rely on counter-attacks, but without forming a real danger in light of the steadfastness of the Nasserite defenses and the vigilance of goalkeeper Walid Abdullah, so that the first half ended with the progress of victory with a clean goal.
The second half started with great crescent pressure in order to score the equalizer early, which he succeeded in at the 62nd minute after Saud Abdul Hamid’s cross, which Ighalo met with a header that ignited the atmosphere of the meeting, which increased the excitement of Al Hilal scoring its second goal through a penalty kick that Salem Al Dosari succeeded in implementing in the minute 80.
Al-Nasr rushed towards Al-Hilal’s goal, trying to modify the result, and the latter almost added the third goal of one of the quick attacks in which Salem Al-Dosari exchanged the ball with Ighalo, so Al-Dosari hit a strong ball that the crossbar tackled instead of Walid Abdullah, ending the meeting with the superiority of Al-Hilal with two goals against a goal.
Al-Ittihad snatched the crossing card for the semi-final with difficulty, after its victory in the last breath against its guest Al-Taawoun 2-1 at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Buraidah.
Al-Taawoun advanced with the goal of Samihan Al-Nabet (53), Al-Ittihad responded with goals by Abdulaziz Al-Bishi (86) and Moroccan Abdul Razzaq Hamdallah (90 + 6 from a penalty kick).
Al-Ittihad will face Al-Fayhaa in the semi-finals, which beat Al-Batin 2-1 after extension.
Al-Fayhaa scored for North Macedonian Alexander Trajkovsky (56), and the Greek Panagiotis Takhtsidis (117 kick), against Youssef Al-Jabali’s goal (66 kick).