Stars shine as Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad start the season in style

RIYADH: Malcom took center stage with a hat-trick for Al-Hilal in their 3-1 win over Abha in the Blues’ first game of the Roshn Saudi League season. 

And on this evidence, the club may not even need Neymar.

Brazilian Malcom, signed from Zenit St. Petersburg in July, scored once in the first half and twice in the second to ensure that the Riyadh giants started their quest to recapture the title with three points.

Elsewhere, champions Al-Ittihad picked up a 3-0 win at Al-Raed.

Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus was denied the services of stars such as Kalidou Koulibaly, Salem Al-Dawsari and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, but his side took the lead after 30 minutes. Abdullah Al-Hamdan released Nasser Al-Dawsari on the left side of the area and the midfielder, with the goalkeeper coming perhaps a little too far off his line, squared the ball to Malcom to slot home.

Within two minutes, though, the hosts were level. The visitors were dispossessed deep inside their own half and Saad Bguir unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top of the Al-Hilal goal from 25 yards out.

Al-Hilal, with Ruben Neves starting to pull the strings in the middle, moved up a level after the break. Ten minutes in, Mohammed Al-Breik passed to Malcom from the right side and the Brazilian twisted in the area and got off a low shot that squirmed through the grasp of the diving Devis Epassy.

There was not much the Cameroon international could have done 13 minutes from time as Al-Hilal sealed the win. The boys in blue passed the ball around on the edge of the area and fed Malcom on the left side of the box who teed himself up with his first touch and then fired home a low volley into the opposite bottom corner with his second.

If it was a great start to the