Video: Second in 40 days… Al-Taawoun hand Al-Nassr a draw and bring down Al-Hilal with another draw

Al-Taawoun have thus managed to draw with Al-Hilal in both legs of this season’s Roshen League, with the first draw ending 1–1 some 40 days ago, specifically on 24 February, in a postponed match from the tenth round.

Al-Hilal’s tally now stands at 65 points, placing them second in the Saudi Pro League table, five points behind leaders Al-Nassr and ahead of Al-Ahli, who occupy third place, on goal difference.

Meanwhile, Al-Taawoun have taken their tally to 46 points, placing them fifth in the Roshen League table.

Al-Hilal manager Simone Inzaghi was forced to field several substitutes in the starting line-up to make up for the absences suffered by ‘The Leader’ against Al-Taawoun.

Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinković-Savić was suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, whilst Frenchmen Simon Bouabri and Karim Benzema were out injured, as was Turkish defender Yusuf Akçıkçık.

In addition, several key local players were absent through injury, including wingers Salem Al-Dossari and Sultan Mandash, midfielder Nasser Al-Dossari, and right-back Hamad Al-Yami.

The Italian manager relied on Brazilian Marcos Leonardo and Ivorian Mohamed Kader Miti in attack, supported by Brazilian winger Malcom, to make up for the absence of Benzema and Salem Al-Dossari.

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Inzaghi also fielded Murad Hawsawi in midfield, alongside Mohammed Kano and the Portuguese Ruben Neves, to make up for the absence of Savic and Nasser Al-Dossari.

Conversely, Inzaghi was forced to rely on several players from Al-Hilal’s Under-21 squad on the substitutes’ bench, including Abdulaziz Al-Jarmoush, Mishaal Al-Dawood, Abdullah Al-Zaid, Mohammed Al-Zaid, Suhaib Al-Zaid and Saad Al-Mutairi.

Al-Hilal’s line-up was as follows:

Goalkeeper: Yassine Bounou

Defence: Muteb Al-Harbi – Hassan Tambakti – Kalidou Koulibaly – Theo Hernández

Midfield: Murad Hawsawi – Ruben Neves – Mohammed Kanno

Attack: Malcom, Marcos Leonardo, Mohammed Qadir Miti

Al-Hilal began to pose a threat in the fifth minute, when Rúben Neves struck a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, but it flew just wide of Al-Taawoun’s left-hand post.

Neves tried to do the same in the 14th minute, shooting from outside the box once again, but his effort went well wide of Al-Taawoun’s goal.

Al-Taawoun’s response was swift, however, as Mohammed Al-Kwaikbi squandered a chance to put his side ahead in the very same minute, when the ball fell to him right in front of Al-Hilal’s goal, only for him to shoot wide.

Al-Hilal returned to shooting from outside the penalty area, but this time through Malcom, who fired a powerful low shot in the 17th minute, but goalkeeper Mailsom managed to save it.

In the 21st minute, Theo Hernández also tried his luck from outside the box, but his effort went wide of Al-Taawoun’s goal.

Neves tried to catch Al-Taawoun off guard in the 30th minute, when he intercepted the ball on the edge of the penalty area and drove into the box, before his weak shot went wide of Al-Taawoun’s right-hand post.

In the 33rd minute, the Portuguese midfielder fired another shot at Al-Taawoun’s goal, this time from a free-kick, but it sailed over the crossbar of goalkeeper Mailsson.

Al-Hilal’s first goal came in the 43rd minute, scored by their Ivorian striker Mohamed Kader Miti, who received a pass from Mohamed Mahzari on the left flank before firing a powerful shot at Al-Taawoun’s goal, which goalkeeper Mailsom failed to save.

Marcos Leonardo missed the chance to add a second goal in the second minute of stoppage time, after finding himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper following a superb pass from Mohamed Kader Miti, but Mailsom managed to save it.

The ball rebounded to Al-Hilal, where it reached Mohammed Kano on the edge of the penalty area, who struck it powerfully, but it ended up in the arms of goalkeeper Mailsom.

Malcom launched Al-Hilal’s attacks in the second half when he received the ball on the edge of the penalty area in the 49th minute and attempted a powerful shot, but his effort went wide of the post.

Marcos Leonardo continued to squander chances in the 51st minute, when the ball fell to him on the side of Al-Taawoun’s goal; he struck it powerfully, but goalkeeper Mailsom managed to save it.

In the 55th minute, Brazilian defender André Gerotto scored the equaliser for Al-Taawoun, heading a cross from a corner kick past Yassine Bounou.

Hassan Tambakti missed a chance to put Al-Taawoun back in front in the 58th minute, when a cross found him in front of an open goal after goalkeeper Mailsom had come off his line, but he failed to convert.

Miti almost scored his second goal for Al-Hilal in the 63rd minute, when he used his physical strength to break into the penalty area and fired a low shot that went just wide of Al-Taawoun’s right-hand post.

Gerotto continued his fine form, scoring his second goal and his team’s second in the 67th minute, heading another cross into the Al-Hilal net, which Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou failed to deal with.

Marcos Leonardo made up for his earlier missed chances by scoring Al-Hilal’s equaliser in the 77th minute, after Malcom struck a powerful shot that deflected and fell to him in front of goal, allowing him to slot it home.

Malcom almost scored the winner in the 89th minute when a cross from Ruben Neves found him; he headed it towards goal, but it went just wide of the post.