King Gave Them Hope. Hilal Took It Away.
Joshua King scored after eleven minutes. Al Khaleej ahead. The home crowd loud. Against a Hilal side sitting second in the table, it looked like a result worth celebrating.
It lasted 23 minutes.
Milinkovic-Savic headed Neves’ cross past Moris on 34 minutes. 1-1. Hilal in control from that point. Second half they pushed. Mandash got the winner in the 79th. Al Khaleej defended for their lives. Moris made eight saves. Still lost.
2-1 to Al Hilal. The comeback complete. Three points taken. Title race very much alive.
How King Put Khaleej Ahead
Fortounis made it happen. He swung a deep cross in from the right. King read it perfectly — left foot, first time, past Bono. Eleven minutes gone. 1-0.
King has been consistent all season for Al Khaleej. Seven goals from eight appearances. He leads the team’s scoring charts and on this showing, even against the better side, he found a way to contribute.
Al Khaleej held the lead with purpose. Not a defensive rabble — they competed, they pressed, they made Hilal uncomfortable. For just over twenty minutes they looked capable of causing an upset.
Neves Was the Difference
Ruben Neves ran the game. Full stop.
His Sofascore rating finished at 8.7 — highest on the pitch by some distance. Four key passes. Two big chances created. And then the cross that changed the match.
34th minute. Neves picked up the ball on the right. Whipped it in. Milinkovic-Savic was already moving. He met it with a powerful header — the kind he scores every few weeks. Bono could only watch.
1-1 at half-time. Al Khaleej still in it but the momentum had shifted entirely.
Moris Kept It Alive. Could Not Save Everything.
Anthony Moris had a night to remember — for the wrong reasons and the right ones simultaneously.
Eight saves. Eight. He conceded twice and still made eight saves. Al Hilal attempted 38 crosses. Fired eleven shots from inside the box compared to Al Khaleej’s five. The stats tell you how one-sided this was once Hilal found their rhythm.
Moris kept it 1-1 longer than Hilal deserved. Fortounis clipped the bar — Moris already beaten on that one, the post saved him. But the 79th minute arrived.
Mandash drove into the box. Composed. Left foot. Low past Moris. 2-1. His 7.5 Sofascore rating undersells what he did — he scored the goal that decided the match and put in defensive work too.
Al Khaleej threw bodies forward in the final minutes. Captain Al-Khabrani made nine clearances — led the defensive battle with real heart. Fortounis earned his 7.5 rating too. The scoreline felt harsh on a side that started better and kept fighting.
What It Means in the Table
Al Hilal second. Still in the fight. Still breathing down whoever sits above them.
Al Khaleej remain eleventh. This result does not drag them into trouble — they are comfortably mid-table — but conceding a winner in the 79th minute against the league’s second-placed side is a reminder of the gap between the upper half and the rest.
Hilal had won 3-0 against Al Hazem in their previous league game. They are in form. Neves driving them, Milinkovic-Savic scoring with his head, Mandash dangerous late. Three different players. Three different ways to hurt you.
For more Saudi Pro League and Middle East football coverage visit FawaNews football. Full Saudi Pro League table and fixtures at the official Saudi Pro League website.
Al Khaleej 1-2 Al Hilal Saudi Pro League Round 28 | Tuesday, 5 May 2026 | Al-Khaleej Club Stadium, Saihat Referee: Andris Treimanis
Goals: Joshua King 11′ (KHA) | Sergej Milinkovic-Savic 34′ | Sultan Mandash 79′ (HIL)
Al Khaleej XI: Moris | (4-4-1-1) — Al-Khabrani, Fortounis, King (key players confirmed) Al Hilal XI: Bono | (3-1-4-2) — Neves, Milinkovic-Savic, Mandash, Nasser Al-Dawsari
Key Stats: Al Hilal crosses 38 | Al Khaleej clearances 32 | Shots inside box HIL 11 — KHA 5 | Corners 8-5 HIL | Moris saves 8 | Neves rating 8.7
HT: 1-1 | FT: 1-2
