Al Hilal manager Jorge Jesus praised his team’s “spectacular” performance in the 2023/24 season after they secured their 19th Saudi Arabian league crown with a 4-1 victory over Al Hazem. This win solidified Al Hilal’s unbeaten record for the season and marked a dominant display throughout. The victory, which included goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic, an own goal by Ahmed Aljuwayd, and a strike by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, placed Al Hilal twelve points ahead of their closest rivals, Al Nassr, with three games remaining. Additionally, Al Hilal set a world record by winning 34 consecutive matches across all competitions.
Jesus expressed his pride in his team’s achievements, emphasizing their leadership in goals scored, fewest conceded, and highest number of points. Despite facing challenges such as the absence of key players like Neymar and Mitrovic, Al Hilal managed to maintain their high standards throughout the season. Jesus, who has experience coaching successful teams like Flamengo in Brazil and Benfica in Portugal, affirmed his commitment to excellence and preparation for success from the start of the season.
The thrilling victory against Al Hazem saw all four goals for Al Hilal scored in the first half at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium. Mitrovic opened the scoring from the penalty spot, only for Faiz Selemani to equalize for Al Hazem. Al Hilal quickly regained the lead through an own goal by Aljuwayd, with Milinkovic-Savic and Mitrovic adding to the first-half scoring. Looking ahead, Jesus warned against complacency as they prepare to face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in the Riyadh Derby and the upcoming King’s Cup final. He emphasized the importance of every match in their pursuit of more titles.
On the other hand, Al Hazem’s coach, Saleh Al Mohammadi, acknowledged Al Hilal’s strength and attributed their loss to individual errors and the high quality of the champions. Despite the defeat, Al Hazem will look to regroup and learn from their mistakes in order to finish the season strongly. Overall, Al Hilal’s impressive performance and dominant display throughout the season have solidified their status as one of the top teams in Saudi Arabia and set a high standard for future seasons to come. With Jesus at the helm, Al Hilal will continue to push for excellence and pursue further success in both domestic and international competitions.
