Al-Hilal's Perfect Start Ends in Defeat Against NEOM

Al-Hilal’s perfect start to the Roshn League season was ripped up in a night that went wrong before a ball was even kicked.

Bounou blow sets the tone

Five wins from five, confidence high, leaders cruising. Then Yassine Bounou pulled up injured in the warm-up. In an instant, Simone Inzaghi had to rip up his plans and turn to Mohammed Al-Owais.

From there, Al-Hilal never quite found their rhythm.

NEOM smelled vulnerability and locked in. Compact, aggressive, and disciplined, they strangled the space in front of Al-Hilal’s stars, forcing the leaders into rushed passes and hopeful shots from distance.

Koulibaly own goal sparks chaos

The breakthrough came early and brutally.

On 15 minutes, Kalidou Koulibaly turned the ball into his own net, gifting NEOM the lead and sending a jolt through the visiting side. One moment of misjudgment, and Al-Hilal’s script was shredded.

The league leaders tried to respond, but every attack ran into the same blue wall. Sultan Al-Ghannam pushed on, Krisencio Summerville probed from wide areas, yet NEOM’s back line stayed firm. Most of Al-Hilal’s efforts came from outside the box, and the NEOM goal remained largely untroubled.

Inzaghi rolls the dice

After the break, Inzaghi went for it.

Nasser Al-Dawsari, Sultan Mandash and Mohamed Kader Mete all came on as the Italian coach threw bodies and ideas at the problem, searching for a spark to drag his team back into the contest.

It almost arrived on 50 minutes. Gabriel Martinelli burst clear, one-on-one with the NEOM goalkeeper, with the game begging for a clinical finish. He missed. A huge chance gone.

Three minutes later, Ruben Neves bent a curling effort just wide of the left post. NEOM were wobbling, if only briefly.

Bulka slams the door

Just as Al-Hilal began to build pressure, Marcin Bulka took over the night.

On 65 minutes, Ollie Watkins rose inside the box and powered a header towards goal. Bulka reacted superbly, producing a stunning save that felt like a turning point. It wasn’t his first important intervention of the half either; time and again he read the danger and turned away Al-Hilal attempts, each stop draining belief from the visitors.

From there, NEOM tightened the screw. They slowed the tempo, broke up play, and managed every minute. The clock became their ally.

When the final whistle blew, NEOM had their reward: a controlled, hard-earned 2-0 victory and three precious points.

Table twists and pressure rises

Al-Hilal remain on 15 points, their run of five straight league wins snapped, their first Roshn League defeat of the season confirmed. More than that, it was their first domestic loss since Simone Inzaghi took charge at the start of last season.

NEOM, meanwhile, climbed to 12 points with their fourth win of the campaign, right back in the thick of the early-season battle.

And somewhere in Riyadh, Al-Nassr will have watched it all with interest. They sit on 12 points heading into their clash with Abha on Wednesday, now knowing a win would slice Al-Hilal’s lead to a single point.

The champions-elect tag suddenly looks a little heavier on Al-Hilal’s shoulders.