Al-Hilal Aim to Overcome Curse in Buraidah Clash

Al-Hilal travel to Buraidah on Saturday with more than three points on their minds. They go to face Al-Taawoun trying to outrun a shadow from their own past.

The Saudi Roshn League leaders arrive wounded. Their perfect start vanished on Monday with a two-goal defeat to Neom in the sixth round, their first loss of the season and a jolt to a side that had been cruising.

Now comes the real test: what happens next.

A painful memory from December 2021

Inside the club, they know this story. They call it a curse for a reason.

The last time Al-Hilal lost two league matches in a row came almost five years ago, in December 2021. It started against their fiercest rivals. Al-Nassr beat them 2-0, a result that stung the capital giants. Instead of a reaction, there was a collapse. In the very next round, Al-Fateh edged them 3-2.

Two straight league defeats. A rare wobble for a team that measures itself in titles, not bad runs.

Since that double blow, Al-Hilal have treated any league defeat as a red alert. Whenever they have fallen, they have at least stopped the bleeding in the next round, never allowing losses to stack up. The worst follow-up result has been a draw.

That record is now on the line in Buraidah.

Top of the table, but under pressure

The standings say Al-Hilal are in control. They sit on 15 points at the summit of the Saudi Roshn League, ahead of Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsiah only on goal difference, with their rivals tucked in behind them in second and third.

The margin is thin. One bad week can flip the picture.

So the trip to Al-Taawoun is not just another away game. It is a check on their mentality, their response, their ability to turn a first setback into a statement rather than a slide.

“The Boss” have spent nearly five years refusing to let the league pull them into a losing spiral. On Saturday in Buraidah, they find out if that resistance still holds.