Nigeria international Odion Ighalo scored late in the game as Al Hilal registered a 4-2 win against Damac in a Saudi Pro League fixture at Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium on Saturday.
It was the home team who took the lead with only three minutes played when Emilio Zelaya scored but Musab Fahz Aljuwayr pulled a goal back for the Boss in the 36th minute.
Damac then retook the lead in the 40th minute through Mansor Hamzi and it was the last goal as they headed into the half-time break leading 2-1. In the second period, it was Al Hilal, who looked the most dangerous side and they moved level in the 75th minute when Matheus Pereira hit the back of the net.
Mali international Moussa Marega then gave Al Hilal their first lead in the game when he scored the third goal in the 79th minute and the 32-year-old Super Eagle then drilled home the fourth in the stoppages.
The game started on a high and Damca were rewarded with a penalty which Zelaya slotted past Al Hilal goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Mayouf. Al Hilal then responded with Aljuwayr putting them level but a mistake by Al-Mayouf allowed the home team to retake the lead as Hamzi drilled home from a rebound.
Pereira then started Al Hilal’s comeback as he scored the second and Marega made it 3-1 after finishing off a cross from Aljuwayr. It was Ighalo, who assured Al Hilal of maximum points when he dribbled past Damca defenders to slice the ball past the advancing Moustapha Zeghba for the 4-2 result.
Ighalo, who joined Al Hilal from Al Shabab, has now scored eight goals in the top-flight from eight appearances.
Prior to moving to Al Shabab in February 2021, Ighalo made 17 league appearances in total at Shanghai Shenhua, scoring 10 goals.
The win enabled Al Hilal to leap-frog Al-Nassr to the second position of the 16-team table with 52 points from 25 matches. They have managed 15 wins, seven draws, and suffered three defeats.
Al Hilal are now nine points behind leaders Al-Ittihad. The league leaders have accumulated 61 points from 26 matches having managed 19 wins, four draws, and three defeats.
Ighalo and Al Hilal will next face Ettifaq, who are lying 13th on the log, at Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium on Wednesday.
