Video: A blue Clasico par excellence: Al-Hilal put on a show with a hat-trick past Al-Ahli and top the league | Goal.com
Al-Hilal settled the classic against Al-Ahli with a thrilling 3-0 win at the "Kingdom Arena" this Tuesday evening, in a match postponed from the third round of the Roshn Saudi Pro League.
Al-Hilal came flying out of the blocks, launching wave after wave at the Al-Ahli goal. The pressure told on nine minutes, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic opening the scoring.
Milinkovic-Savic's goal only sharpened Al-Hilal's grip. Al-Ahli fell away badly, offering nothing to trouble Yassine Bounou.
Crysencio Summerville doubled the lead in the 23rd minute, cranking up the pressure on the visitors even further.
After the break Al-Ahli picked up slightly, timidly probing for a way back into it, but Bounou stood firm.
As the half wore on, Al-Hilal reasserted control and poured forward. New signing Ollie Watkins made it three in the 86th minute.
The win took Al-Hilal to 12 points from four straight victories, topping the table on goal difference alone ahead of runners-up Al-Nassr.
Al-Ahli, meanwhile, slipped to seventh on 6 points. It was their second league defeat of the season, after the loss to Al-Kholood.
Tempers flared throughout. Strong challenges flew in from both sides, and players squared up in squabbles that dragged in members of both coaching staffs.
The tension boiled over late in the first half. It kicked off after a challenge between Al-Hilal's Mohamed Mahzari and Al-Ahli's English forward Ivan Toney. Mahzari went down claiming he had been struck, and the referee brandished a yellow card at Toney.
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Demiral then charged over to Mahzari and yanked him hard by the shirt as he lay on the ground. The referee booked him and also showed a red card to a member of Al-Ahli's coaching staff for dissent.
Demiral saw a second yellow in the 45+7th minute and was sent off after a heavy challenge on Crysencio Summerville.
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