RIYADH, May 1: Al-Hilal booked their place in the King’s Cup final with a thrilling 2-1 win against Al-Ittihad Jeddah in the tournament’s golden square, marking their third consecutive appearance in the final match.
At the Radiant Jewel Stadium, an early goal scored by Al-Ittihad’s Moroccan player Abdel Razzaq Hamdallah in the eighth minute was canceled due to offside after a review by the video assistant referee technology. Michael then capitalized on an opportunity in the 25th minute, netting the first goal for Al-Hilal with an assist from his teammate Malcolm.
However, Al-Hilal faced a setback just before halftime when their Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was shown a red card for a violent challenge against Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, following a review by the video technology.
Al-Ittihad Jeddah managed to equalize in the 68th minute, courtesy of a goal by Abdul Razzaq Hamdallah assisted by Ahmed Al-Ghamdi. Despite being down to ten men, Al-Hilal secured the winning goal nine minutes before full time, with Saud Abdul Hamid finding the back of the net and securing his team’s place in the final match.
This victory marked Al-Hilal’s seventh win over Al-Ittihad this season, having previously defeated them in various competitions including the King Salman Cup for Arab Clubs, the AFC Champions League, the Diriyah Saudi Super Cup, and the Saudi Roshan League.
Following the match, Anmar Al-Haili, president of Al-Ittihad Club, criticized the refereeing decisions, particularly the controversial cancellation of Hamdallah’s goal in the eighth minute. He questioned the validity of the decision, expressing frustration over its impact on the outcome of the match.