'Gives hope for the future' - Inzaghi, Rodgers, etc react to Al Qadsiah vs Al Hilal thriller | OneFootball

A thrilling top-of-the-table clash played out in Dammam on Thursday night, where Roshn Saudi League leaders Al Hilal secured a 90th-minute draw at Al Qadsiah.

The league’s fourth-placed side, who came into the encounter on the back of a club-record, seven-match winning run, had rebounded from Ruben Neves’ eight-minute opener direct from a corner to equalise two minutes later through Nahitan Nandez.

The on-fire Julian Quinones, chasing the 2025-26 RSL golden boot, later put Al Qadsiah ahead on 76 minutes, lifting the Mexico hotshot to 17 goals for the season. With it, he moved to within one of current top-scorer Ivan Toney, of Al Ahli.

However, Al Hilal displayed the short of determination that has thrust them to the RSL summit, when captain and reigning Asian Player of the Year Salem Al Dawsari fired home in the final minute of injury-time to seal a 2-2 draw and ensure his team remain undefeated in the top flight this term.

Al Dawsari had earlier seen a penalty saved by Al Qadsiah goalkeeper Koen Casteels.

Al Hilal, last champions in that record-breaking 2023-24, lead the standings by three points from Al Ahli, while third-placed Al Nassr are six back before their trip to Al Kholood on Friday night. Al Qadsiah, meanwhile, stay fourth, also six points off the pace.

So, following an action-packed - and at times contentious - meeting at Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium, here’s what some of the protagonists made of a gripping 90-plus minutes.

Brendan Rodgers (Al Qadsiah manager)

“Against a very, very good team in Al Hilal, I was so proud of my players. It was a top game. We were very competitive. We probably took Al Hilal closest to defeat this season.

“The players played with so much heart and quality, and we were so brave in our game to be aggressive and press the game. As I said, so proud of the players. We were aggressive; we did not wait. And, sadly, we just could not get the three points.

“But we continue with our strong start over our nine games. After nine games, I'm really proud of the mentality of the team. Because every big game we have played, against Al Ittihad, Al Nassr and now Al Hilal, my feeling is that everyone expects us to be submissive.

“But if we want to be a top club, then we have to be aggressive in our game. And this is what I'm seeing in the team. We would've loved to have won the game, but it wasn't to be. But lots of positives.”

Koen Casteels (Al Qadsiah goalkeeper)

“A very intensive game, both sides, until the end, until the last minute. In the end, if you see the whole game, the draw was maybe a fair result.

“However, it was a clear red card not given, and also the second goal came from a corner which we didn’t get -eventually the referee overruled it. That’s something that we’re not really happy about, but we have to accept it.

“We did a great fight, a great performance. Technically, things could have been better from both sides, but the spirit was there, the mentality was there. And we didn’t give up."

Simone Inzaghi (Al Hilal manager)

“We played a great game. We came here on a difficult pitch against a great team that came from seven consecutive wins. We contested the game very well, creating a lot of chances.

“It's normal that we're all disappointed with the result, but I told the lads to stay calm and stay focused, because if we keep playing like this, we won't lose many points.

“As I said before, Al Qadsiah are a great team, very well trained. We created a lot of chances tonight, we should have scored more, we missed a penalty. But today I can't blame the team for anything.

“Tonight, I'm a happy coach to have seen the team play like this. I'm disappointed with the result, which reduces our gap at the top, but as a coach, to have seen the team with this personality, against Al Qadsiah, makes me hope for the future.”

Ruben Neves (Al Hilal midfielder)

“Difficult game. We start very good, then conceded a goal in their first chance. Then again in a corner, we need to work because all the points we lost in this league were because of set-pieces, so it’s something we need to improve.

“And then we went for the result, we got the goal, but we deserved more today because we played very well.

“We always play to win. We are in first place in the championship; we want to win all the games. Unfortunately, today it was not possible, but clearly it is a lament, even because we made a very good game to win.”