Simone Inzaghi walked into the press room with the look of a man who knows the schedule will not wait for anyone. The games are coming thick and fast. He would not have it any other way.
“We trained well yesterday, and today we’ll train after the press conference,” he said, as reported by Al-Riyadiah. “We’re trying to prepare as best we can, and I’m delighted that matches are resuming quickly to bring joy to our fans.”
Four days on from a jarring 2-2 draw with Al-Taawoun at Kingdom Arena in the 27th round of the Roshen League, Al-Hilal return to action against Al-Khulud. The league fixture arrives with a twist: the same opponent has just written one of the cup stories of the season.
Cup shock in the background
Al-Khulud stunned Al-Ittihad in the semi-finals of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup, reaching the final for the first time in their history and setting up a showpiece clash with Al-Hilal. It is the kind of upset that changes how a team is viewed overnight.
Inzaghi refused to let the narrative run away from him.
“Tomorrow’s match will not affect the cup tie; Al-Khulud deserve to be in the final, but we must focus on the league fixture,” he said, drawing a clear line between the two battles.
He knows exactly what awaits. The same coach. A squad subtly reshaped in January. A side that has already shown it can bloody a giant’s nose.
“They have the same manager, and in the winter they managed to make some changes to the squad. They are a well-organised team, and in their last match against Al-Khaleej they put in a good performance.”
No complacency. No excuses. Just another dangerous opponent in a season where every dropped point is magnified.
New faces, slow burn
The Italian also turned his attention to the winter recruits who arrived to bolster “Al-Zaeem” for the run-in. Expectations around Al-Hilal are rarely modest, and new signings feel that weight immediately.
“Any player, especially those who joined us in January, needs time to settle into their new team,” Inzaghi explained.
“Simon Boabri, Mohammed Qadir Miti and Sultan Mandash have joined us; they come from different backgrounds and need time to settle in.”
He reminded everyone that even impact players do not always explode from day one.
“As Miti mentioned before the Al-Taawoun match, it is natural that new players need some time to make the impact the fans are hoping for.”
The message was clear: patience, not panic. The squad is still knitting together, even as the calendar offers no breathing space.
Benzema question hangs over Al-Khulud clash
One name dominated the fitness discussion: Karim Benzema. The French striker missed the draw with Al-Taawoun due to a toe injury, and his availability for the Al-Khulud game remains uncertain.
“We’ll see how Benzema is today,” Inzaghi said, leaving the door open but not wide. “And as for all the players who were out of the last match – such as Benzema, Salem (Al-Dossari) and Bouabri – we’ll see if they’re fit to play in tomorrow’s match.”
Al-Hilal’s attack has been scrutinised in Benzema’s absence, yet the numbers paint a very different picture.
Second-best attack, room to grow
Talk of a blunt forward line does not sit well with Inzaghi, and he arrived armed with statistics. Al-Hilal have scored 69 league goals, the second-best tally in the Saudi Pro League, behind only Al-Nassr’s 76.
“As for our attack, we are the second-best attacking line-up, and we have had plenty of chances; we must capitalise on them, as in the match against Al-Taawoun,” he pointed out.
The issue is not volume. It is ruthlessness. Al-Hilal create, they arrive in numbers, they force openings. The missing piece, too often, is the final touch.
“But with increased focus on the defensive side and capitalising on the chances we create, we will improve; and despite the lack of time, we must improve.”
There was no sense of self-congratulation in those numbers, only a challenge. Tighten up at the back. Finish what you start. Do it now, with the fixtures piling up and the margin for error shrinking.
Al-Khulud have already proved they can tear up a script. The question for Inzaghi and Al-Hilal is simple: will this be the night they reassert control, or the night the season’s tension takes another sharp turn?
