Al-Hilal's Performance Analysis: Stumble in Second Half
Al-Hilal’s three-goal stroll turned into a second-half stumble, and Simone Inzaghi did not try to hide it.
His side went into the break cruising, seemingly out of sight at 3–0. Then the intensity dropped, the control slipped, and Al-Faisaly pounced with two quick strikes in five chaotic minutes to drag themselves back into the contest and expose a soft underbelly in Al-Hilal’s game management.
Speaking to Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, Inzaghi split the performance cleanly in two.
“In the first half we played wonderfully,” he said. “In the second half there was a lack of output from some of the players, but we can improve that.”
The word “drop” kept coming back. For the Italian, this wasn’t just about tired legs; it was about standards.
“In the second half there was a drop in level, and this is something we suffered from as a coaching staff,” he admitted. “But we always work to make our fans happy.”
Theo held back, not frozen out
One name on everyone’s lips was Theo Hernandez. The French full-back has been training with the group in recent weeks, yet remains conspicuously absent from the matchday action.
Inzaghi moved quickly to cool any talk of a problem.
“Theo Hernandez arrived late to the group, and did not get a sufficient number of training sessions,” he explained. “Soon we will see him with the team.”
No drama, just conditioning. That was the message.
Malcom shines amid transfer noise
On the opposite flank, Malcom delivered the kind of display that tends to stir up transfer talk even more. The Brazilian has been heavily linked with Al-Diriyah, newly promoted to the Roshn League, and the speculation has swirled around him all summer.
On the pitch, he answered with an “excellent performance,” as Inzaghi put it. Off it, his coach refused to be drawn into the market frenzy.
“Malcom put in an excellent performance, and he must continue to deliver at this level,” Inzaghi said. “I do not want to talk about the transfer window, because that is a matter for the sporting management.”
The line was clear: Malcom is his player, his focus, until someone above him decides otherwise.
Benzema flashpoint handled behind closed doors
The other flashpoint came in the 70th minute, when Karim Benzema reacted sharply to being substituted. The French striker’s frustration was obvious and instantly became a talking point.
Inzaghi, though, framed it as the sort of tension any ambitious dressing room lives with.
Asked what passed between them after the final whistle, he replied: “It was a conversation between a coach and his player, which included some banter and talk about the course of the match. As a striker, he always works to be present in attacking situations.”
No public rebuke, no escalation. Just a reminder that elite forwards rarely enjoy seeing their number go up.
A nod to the next generation
Amid the scrutiny on stars and lapses, Inzaghi made sure to highlight the future. He spoke with intent about the younger faces pushing from below, and singled out one name in particular.
“We have players of a high level, and Sabri Dahl will get his chance in the future, him and the rest of the young players,” he said.
A warning shot to the established names, perhaps, and a promise to the supporters: if Al-Hilal are going to tighten up those second halves, some of the answers may come from the kids waiting for their moment.
