Al-Hilal's Second Half Struggles Against Al-Faisaly
Al-Hilal walked off at half-time as if the job was done. Three goals up, cruising, the points seemingly sealed.
Then the second half hit them like a cold splash of water.
A sharp drop in intensity opened the door, and Al-Faisaly barged straight through it, striking twice in five chaotic minutes to turn a procession into a contest. The swagger of the first 45 vanished, replaced by nerves and loose touches.
Filippo Inzaghi did not hide from it.
Speaking to Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, the Al-Hilal coach cut straight to the heart of the problem. “In the first half we played wonderfully,” he said. “In the second half there was a lack of output from some of the players, but we can improve that.”
The Italian admitted the slump was not just on the players. “In the second half there was a drop in level, and this is something we suffered from as a coaching staff, but we always work to make our fans happy.”
Theo’s wait, Malcom’s future
One of the big questions around Al-Hilal in recent weeks has been the absence of Theo Hernandez. The French full-back has been training with the squad, yet remains unused on matchdays.
Inzaghi laid out the reasoning. “Theo Hernandez arrived late to the group, and did not get a sufficient number of training sessions, and soon we will see him with the team,” he explained. No drama, just conditioning. But with every game, the anticipation grows.
On the opposite flank of the squad planning sits Malcom and the noise around his future. The Brazilian winger has been linked with a move to newly promoted Al-Diriyah in the Roshn League, a story that refuses to fade.
On the pitch, though, Inzaghi only had praise. “Malcom put in an excellent performance, and he must continue to deliver at this level,” he said, before drawing a clear line. “I do not want to talk about the transfer window, because that is a matter for the sporting management.”
For now, Malcom’s task is simple: keep playing like a key man, while others discuss whether he stays one.
Benzema flashpoint
The evening carried another subplot when Karim Benzema reacted poorly to being substituted in the 70th minute. The French striker’s frustration was clear, sparking debate over tension between star and coach.
Inzaghi played it down, framing it as part of the normal edge at elite level. Asked what passed between them after the match, he replied: “It was a conversation between a coach and his player, which included some banter and talk about the course of the match. As a striker, he always works to be present in attacking situations.”
A competitor angry to leave the pitch early, a coach demanding control of the game’s rhythm. That friction often fuels winning teams—if it’s handled right.
Backing the next wave
Amid the scrutiny on big names and big egos, Inzaghi made sure to shine a light on the club’s younger faces. He stressed the depth of talent pushing from below, with one name in particular.
“We have players of a high level, and Sabri Dahl will get his chance in the future, him and the rest of the young players,” he said.
Al-Hilal escaped with the win after that second-half wobble, but the message from the touchline was clear: standards cannot swing from “wonderful” to vulnerable in the space of 45 minutes. With Theo Hernandez waiting, Malcom under the microscope, Benzema bristling, and Sabri Dahl knocking on the door, the next few weeks will show whether this was just a warning—or the first sign of a deeper fault line.
