Al Hilal held 2-2 by Al Qadsiah: Theo disappoints on debut | OneFootball

The second round of the Saudi Pro League immediately offers a surprise result. Simone Inzaghi's Al Hilal is held to a 2-2 draw by Míchel's Al Qadsiah, in a vibrant and eventful match, writes Virgilio, in the sports section.

Al Hilal held to a 2-2 draw by Al Qadsiah: Theo disappoints on debut, Retegui works but doesn't score

The big match provided spectacle, confirmed the quality of the opponents, and highlighted strengths and weaknesses in the expected protagonists: a tough debut for Theo Hernandez, a generous but not very incisive performance for Mateo Retegui.

Inzaghi's tactical choice and Theo Hernandez's debut

Al Hilal presented itself with a 4-2-3-1 that in the defensive phase became a 5-3-2, with Rúben Neves lowered to protect the back department. The big news was the debut of Theo Hernandez, who arrived from Milan for 25 million.

However, the Frenchman's performance was anything but positive: out of eight crosses attempted only one was successful, while in 89 minutes of play he lost all direct duels. A dull debut, which leaves one perplexed after the expectations generated by his transfer.

Al Qadsiah responded with a classic 4-4-2, launching the Quiñones-Retegui pair forward and relying on new acquisitions Christopher Bonsu Baah and Julian Weigl.

First half: Baah surprises, Casteels saves

After just 7 minutes the visitors took the lead thanks to Bonsu Baah, who managed to hit behind Bono. Al Hilal reacted consistently, but the aim was missing. The most glaring opportunity came at the 30', when Milinkovic-Savic's header forced Casteels to a spectacular save.

At the 39' sparks on the field: Koulibaly hit Nacho Fernández with an elbow, an incident that could have been costly but had no disciplinary consequences.

Resumption: immediate hit and response

At the start of the second half, at the 49', Al Hilal's equalizer came with Darwin Núñez, who took advantage of Malcom's assist, thus celebrating his hundredth appearance with the club. The visitor's reaction was immediate: a minute later Quiñones put Al Qadsiah back in front, finalizing the action built by Nández.

VAR saves Inzaghi: Neves icy from the spot

The decisive moment came at the 70'. Bonsu Baah committed a naive foul on Milinkovic-Savic in the area, referee Martínez Munuera after VAR review awarded the penalty. From the spot, Neves was impeccable, signing the final 2-2.

In the final push, Al Hilal pressed intensely, but without being able to bend Al Qadsiah's defensive resistance. With this draw, Inzaghi's team slips to fourth place in the standings with 4 points.

Mateo Retegui's match: generous but isolated

A substantial performance for Mateo Retegui, who played 88 minutes without finding the goal. The Italian-Argentine was often isolated forward, but still completed the most dribbles of the match.

In the physical duel phase, he made the difference, winning 70% of the contrasts. His match was marred by a warning at the 59', but the signal remains that the former Atalanta striker can be an important reference point for Míchel during the season.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.