Al Hilal Overcomes Red Card To Secure Spot In King's Cup Final Against Al Ittihad

In a thrilling King's Cup semi-final clash, Al Hilal showcased resilience and tactical prowess to secure a 2-1 victory over Al Ittihad, despite being reduced to ten men. The absence of Karim Benzema was palpably felt by Al Ittihad, who struggled to leverage their numerical advantage after Al Hilal's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was shown a straight red card in the 42nd minute. Saud Abdulhamid emerged as the hero for Al Hilal, netting the decisive goal in the 81st minute, propelling his team into the final.

Al Hilal's journey to their 11th King's Cup final was marked by standout performances, including that of former Lazio midfielder Milinkovic-Savic, despite his early exit from the game. The match also highlighted Al Hilal's depth and quality, attributes that have made them one of the most formidable teams in the Saudi Pro League. With this win, Al Hilal continues to defend their title, having been crowned King's Cup champions 10 times, with their most recent triumph occurring last season.

The final awaits at the end of May, where Al Hilal will face either Al Khaleej or Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr. This matchup promises to be an exciting culmination of the tournament, especially with Al Hilal still missing the services of their injured star Neymar. Yet, in his absence, fellow Brazilian Malcom has stepped up, proving instrumental in both of Al Hilal's goals against Al Ittihad.

Despite Neymar's absence due to injury, Malcom has risen to the occasion for Al Hilal. His performance against Al Ittihad was nothing short of impressive, with the former Zenit attacker setting up both goals for his team. Malcom created three chances throughout the match and boasted a pass accuracy of 92.6 percent, the highest among his teammates. This level of playmaking has been crucial for Al Hilal as they navigate through key matches without Neymar.

The semi-final victory over Al Ittihad not only highlighted Al Hilal's resilience and strategic depth but also underscored their ambition to retain the King's Cup. As they prepare for the final showdown at the end of May, all eyes will be on whether they can secure their 11th title in this prestigious tournament.