Gabriel Martinelli Scores Late Winner as Al Hilal Beat Al Hazem 1-0 in Saudi Pro League

Al Hilal secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Al Hazem on Monday night, with Gabriel Martinelli scoring a dramatic late winner to settle a frustrating Saudi Pro League encounter.

The league leaders dominated large portions of the match at the Kingdom Arena but struggled to turn their superiority into goals. After 88 minutes without a breakthrough, Martinelli finally found the decisive moment, heading home Mohammed Mahzari’s cross in the 89th minute.

The victory keeps Al Hilal at the top of the Saudi Pro League table and maintains their impressive run of form. However, the result was far less comfortable than many would have expected against an Al Hazem side that defended resolutely and came close to producing a major upset.

Al Hilal Dominate but Fail to Find an Early Goal

Al Hilal started the contest on the front foot and immediately placed Al Hazem under pressure.

The home side created opportunities early in the game, with Al Hazem goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek forced into action. Martinelli also came close to opening the scoring when he struck the crossbar during the opening stages.

Despite controlling possession and pushing men forward, Simone Inzaghi’s team could not break through the visitors’ defensive structure.

The statistics reflected Al Hilal’s dominance. They finished the match with 63 per cent possession compared with Al Hazem’s 37 per cent and attempted 21 shots, while their opponents managed only five. Al Hilal also recorded four shots on target, compared with two from Al Hazem.

However, possession and pressure did not immediately translate into goals.

Al Hilal repeatedly moved the ball around the final third, but Al Hazem remained organised and continued to frustrate the hosts. The visitors were particularly effective at limiting clear openings inside the penalty area.

The first half eventually ended goalless, leaving Al Hilal with plenty of work to do after the break.

Ollie Watkins Has Goal Ruled Out

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Al Hilal continuing to search for an opening while Al Hazem remained dangerous whenever they managed to escape the pressure.

One of the key moments came in the 67th minute when Ollie Watkins appeared to have found the breakthrough. However, the goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.

The decision prolonged Al Hilal’s frustration and gave Al Hazem further encouragement.

The visitors continued to defend in numbers, forcing Al Hilal to rely on crosses, set pieces and individual moments of quality. The hosts continued to create opportunities, but the final touch was repeatedly missing.

Al Hilal eventually made changes as the match entered its final stages, with Moteb Al-Harbi and Sultan Mandash introduced in the 76th minute.

Those substitutions added fresh energy to the attack, but Al Hazem still appeared capable of holding on for a valuable point.

Al Hazem Almost Produce a Shock

As the clock approached the final ten minutes, Al Hazem suddenly had one of the biggest opportunities of the match.

In the 85th minute, Ahmed Al-Shamrani found space and attempted to beat Yassine Bounou, but his effort went narrowly wide.

The chance served as a warning for Al Hilal, who were dominating statistically but had left themselves vulnerable to a counterattack.

Just moments later, Al Hilal came close again when Sergej Milinkovic-Savic rose to meet a corner, only for his header to strike the post in the 88th minute.

It appeared increasingly likely that Al Hilal would have to settle for a draw despite their overwhelming pressure.

But Martinelli had other ideas.

Martinelli Delivers in the 89th Minute

With just one minute remaining in normal time, Al Hilal finally found the breakthrough.

Mohammed Mahzari delivered a cross into the penalty area, and Martinelli rose at the right moment to direct a header into the top-right corner.

The Brazilian’s finish sparked celebrations inside the Kingdom Arena and finally rewarded Al Hilal for their sustained pressure.

The goal was Martinelli’s defining contribution on a night when Al Hazem had managed to keep Al Hilal’s attack quiet for almost the entire match. The official Saudi Pro League commentary confirms that the winger headed Mahzari’s cross into the net in the 89th minute.

Martinelli was booked shortly afterwards for excessive celebration before being substituted in stoppage time.

Al Hilal Hold On for Three Points

Al Hazem had a few opportunities to respond during the closing minutes, but Al Hilal managed to protect their narrow advantage.

Six minutes of additional time were announced, creating further tension for the hosts. Al Hazem attempted to push forward, but Al Hilal’s defence held firm until the final whistle.

The match eventually ended 1-0, giving Al Hilal another three points and preserving their position at the summit.

The final numbers underline just how much Al Hilal dominated the encounter. They registered 21 attempts compared with five from Al Hazem, while also recording 15 attempts from inside the box. Al Hazem managed only two shots from inside the area. Al Hilal also had six big chances compared with one for the visitors.

Yet the scoreline remained 0-0 for almost the entire evening.

That made Martinelli’s late header even more important.

Martinelli Named Man of the Match

Gabriel Martinelli was also recognised as the standout performer of the contest after delivering the decisive moment for Al Hilal. The Brazilian winger was rated the best player on the pitch by match-stat providers after scoring the 89th-minute winner. His late header not only secured all three points for Al Hilal but also completed a performance that made him the clear difference-maker on the night.
A Valuable Victory for Inzaghi’s Side

For Simone Inzaghi, the most important outcome will be the three points.

Al Hilal were not at their most clinical, but they showed patience and continued searching for a solution until the final stages. Rather than allowing their frustration to affect their approach, the team maintained pressure and eventually found the breakthrough.

The victory also demonstrated the importance of having players capable of deciding difficult matches.

Martinelli had already been involved in several dangerous moments before his late goal, and his willingness to keep attacking eventually paid off. Mahzari also deserves credit for providing the delivery that allowed the Brazilian to finish the move.

Al Hazem, meanwhile, can take encouragement from their performance despite leaving Riyadh empty-handed. They kept one of the league’s strongest sides scoreless for 88 minutes and came within inches of securing what would have been a memorable result.

For Al Hilal, however, the objective was achieved.

They dominated the statistics, survived a late scare and finally broke through when Martinelli headed home in the 89th minute.

The 1-0 victory ensures Al Hilal continue their strong start to the campaign, while their next challenge will be Al Qadsiah away from home on Friday, October 23.