DAMMAM, May 5, 2026, 22:05 AST
- It was 1-1 between Al Hilal and Al Khaleej early in the second half, with Al Hilal facing pressure to grab all three points in this Saudi Pro League clash.
- If they win, Al Nassr’s lead shrinks to two. A draw keeps Al Hilal trailing by four.
- Latvia’s Andris Treimanis oversees the match; up front, Joshua King and Karim Benzema headline the attack.
Al Hilal’s Saudi Pro League campaign hit a snag in Dammam on Tuesday, as they found themselves locked 1-1 with Al Khaleej just after the break. Mohammed Al-Khubrani gave the home side the initial advantage, only for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to level for Al Hilal. According to LiveScore, the clock showed 46 minutes, with Al Hilal dominating possession at 66% and firing five shots on target, compared to just one for Al Khaleej.
This match carries weight for Al Hilal, who have a game in hand. Al Nassr sit on 79 points from 31 games, and with the live score level, Al Hilal had 75 points through 31 as well. A victory would push Simone Inzaghi’s squad up to 77 points, narrowing the deficit to just two.
Al Nassr’s 16-game league winning streak came to a halt on Sunday, as they fell 3-1 to Al Qadsiah. According to the Saudi Pro League’s own report, Jorge Jesus’ side stays five points ahead—though Al Hilal hold a game in hand. Al Nassr still have a derby clash with Al Hilal coming up during the run-in.
Al Khaleej struck early, with Al-Khubrani opening the scoring in the 11th minute. Al Hilal’s Milinkovic-Savic answered in the 34th, finishing off a Ruben Neves assist. Just ahead of the break, Mansour Hamzi picked up a yellow card.
The spotlight was on the officiating team even ahead of the match. According to Yalla Shoot, the Saudi referees committee named Andris Treimanis of Latvia to take charge as referee, flanked by assistants Aleksei Spasennikovs and Mohammed Al-Huwaish. Kristaps Ratnieks handled VAR duties, with Vitalijs Silins assisting him.
The match got underway at 18:00 GMT—9 p.m. in Dammam—inside Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium. According to GOAL, U.S. viewers could tune in via Fubo, FS2, or FOX Deportes. With Al Hilal pushing for the championship and Al Khaleej aiming to climb further from mid-table, the game was billed as pivotal “at both ends of the table.” Goal
Al Hilal lined up with Yassine Bounou, Ali Lajami, Yusuf Akcicek, Theo Hernandez, Ruben Neves, Mohamed Kanno, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Sultan Mandash, Malcom, Milinkovic-Savic, and Marcos Leonardo. For Al Khaleej, the starting eleven featured Anthony Moris, Al-Khubrani, Pedro Rebocho, Dimitrios Kourbelis, Konstantinos Fortounis, Paolo Fernandes, and Joshua King.
The attacking storylines loomed large. Fox Sports put King at the top for Al Khaleej with 18 goals. Benzema, leading Al Hilal with 17, was initially named to the bench in the live lineup feed.
King arrived riding a hot streak. Betfred analyst Nick Ware noted the Norwegian racked up 18 goals over 25 matches in the Saudi Pro League, with consecutive braces in victories over Al Najma and Damac. He also found the net when facing Al Hilal last December.
Al Hilal had spent the week talking about keeping themselves in the hunt. “Every game is difficult,” Malcom said after a 3-0 victory at Al Hazem. “We’re continuing to believe that we can get there.” Saudi Professional League Association
Al Hilal face a clear risk here. A draw preserves their unbeaten record yet still leaves Al Nassr holding a four-point lead. If they lose, the advantage of that game in hand disappears and the onus shifts to the derby. Al Khaleej, who have already proved they’re capable of troubling the league’s bigger names at home, aren’t likely to play passively.
