Simone Inzaghi is wasting no time. The Al-Hilal manager has thrown Gabriel Martinelli straight into his starting eleven against Neom on Monday evening, as the two sides meet in the sixth round of the Roshn Saudi Pro League.
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Martinelli signed for Al-Hilal from Arsenal only days ago. He made his debut in the previous round against Al-Shabab, coming off the bench in a game the club won 2-0.
That cameo was enough for Inzaghi. He now hands the Brazilian winger a start against Neom, a clear sign that the Italian wants to unleash his attacking talent quickly, with the squad packed full of fresh faces.
Martinelli leads Al-Hilal's attack
Up front, Martinelli lines up alongside Dutchman Crysencio Summerville and Englishman Ollie Watkins to form Al-Hilal's attacking trident against Neom.
The champions want to keep their flawless start rolling. Five wins from five have brought a perfect 15 points ahead of the Neom clash in round six.
Al-Hilal's line-up against Neom
Goalkeeper: Yassine Bounou.
Defence: Kalidou Koulibaly, Hassan Tambakti, Mohammed Mahzari, Moteb Al-Harbi.
Midfield: Mohamed Kanno, Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Attack: Gabriel Martinelli, Crysencio Summerville, Ollie Watkins.
For Martinelli, this one matters. It marks his first real test in the Al-Hilal starting line-up, having only featured off the bench against Al-Shabab.
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