Al-Hilal come from behind to clinch 12th Saudi King Cup title

RIYADH: In a season marked by turbulence on the pitch and behind the scenes, Al-Hilal will have something to celebrate when the campaign concludes, whatever happens as their battle with Al-Nassr at the top of the Saudi Pro League goes to the wire.

The Blues secured their 12th King Cup title on Friday, ending Al-Kholood’s fairytale run in the competition with a 2-1 victory. They had to come from behind to do so after Al-Kholood took the lead inside three minutes, but two goals in a five-minute spell just before half time gave Al-Hilal a narrow lead that proved to be enough for them to lift the cup for the third time in four years.

Despite being unable to secure the victory, it was a night to remember for Al-Kholood, who sit 12 places below their opponents in the Pro League and were only promoted to the Saudi top flight for the first time in their history in 2024. A year later, they became the first foreign-owned team in Saudi Arabia, when American investor Ben Harburg acquired the club. Under his leadership the side have adopted a community-driven focus that has contributed to the growth that led to the final.

Al-Kholood lined up in the 4-4-2 formation that proved so successful in holding last season’s Pro League champions, Al-Ittihad, to a goalless draw on Monday, with one key change: they switched Iker Kortajarena and Abdulaziz Al-Aliwa’s positions on the wings to better exploit the space behind their opponents’ defense.

Al-Hilal’s head coach, Simone Inzaghi, continued to deploy his side in a distinctive 3-1-4-2 formation in which Ruben Neves and Hassan Al-Tambakti took turns operating as the libero. This proved to be a weakness in the early moments of the game, however, when a long ball from Al-Kholood in the