Marcos Leonardo bags brace for Al-Hilal v Al Akhdoud (Video) | OneFootball

Al Hilal, featuring former Benfica player Marcos Leonardo - who had a complicated situation in the recent past - secured an important victory last Thursday against Al Okhood, a team managed by Paulo Sérgio, in a match corresponding to the fourth round of the Saudi Arabian league. The match ended with a 3-1 result, confirming the good form of the Riyadh team, which continues to show ambition in the championship.

At just 14 minutes, Al Okhood took the lead through Narey, momentarily silencing the local fans and increasing the pressure on Al Hilal. The opening goal prompted the home team to quickly reorganize, accelerating the pace and imposing greater territorial dominance.

Just before halftime, the Riyadh team finally managed to turn the tide, scoring two goals in a few minutes. First, Marcos Leonardo, the Brazilian forward who played for Benfica, equalized at the 45th minute, capitalizing on the defense's lapse. Shortly after, in injury time, Theo Hernández turned the score around, finishing a well-crafted play by Kaio César, a former Vitória de Guimarães player.

In the second half, the home team did not slow down and maintained high pressure, creating new opportunities that could have extended the lead earlier. Koulibaly celebrated a goal that was eventually disallowed, as was another scored again by Marcos Leonardo. However, the persistence was rewarded in the 79th minute, when the former Benfica player scored again, making it 3-1.

With this victory, Al Hilal now has eight points, climbing to fourth place in the standings, thus consolidating their bid for the top spots in the Saudi championship. Meanwhile, Al Okhood, which has yet to score after four rounds, remains at the bottom of the table, accumulating consecutive defeats and increasing the pressure on Paulo Sérgio's coaching staff.

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