Al Dawsari: Built for big occasion, Al Hilal captain must lead from front once more | OneFootball

With Al Hilal requiring a rapid response, they looked to a familiar face to lead their revival.

The Roshn Saudi League champions had recorded a solitary win in their past five top-flight matches, the most recent result last weekend's chastening 4-1 defeat at the hands of title rivals Al Ittihad in the Saudi Clasico.

The loss in Jeddah three days removed had opened a seven-point gap between the title-holders and the club seeking to dethrone them, and for Tuesday's visit of Al Kholood and with Al Hilal heads most probably still reeling, they needed someone to step up.

And, as it has so often been the case in recent RSL history, that player was Salem Al Dawsari.

Aside from a brief loan with La Liga’s Villarreal in Spain, the Saudi Arabia captain has spent his entire career with the country’s most successful club.

Now 33, and a former Asian Player of the Year, Al Dawsari feels the living embodiment of Al Hilal: equal parts glitzy and clinical. When you think of the Riyadh giants, you think of Al Dawsari.

Ordinarily, a home match against Al Kholood might not carry the greatest intrigue but, coming mere days after Al Hilal were humbled 4-1 by their fiercest rivals, the clash against the side from Ar Rass attached additional meaning.

Put plainly, this was about more than the three points. It was about righting wrongs and portraying purposely that Al Hilal, record-breakers last season, were still very much in the 2024-25 RSL title race.

That, they may have been bruised by the Clasico and the apparent chasm it opened at the summit, but they were by no means bowed.

It is from that point against on Tuesday night that Al Dawsari, as usual wearing the captain’s armband, set about leading from the front. Within three minutes at the the packed Kingdom Arena, he had provided an assist for Malcom to open the scoring and ease any home nerves.

The 52nd RSL goal he created for a teammate, Al Dawsari drew level with Yahya Al Shehri as the joint-highest assist-maker in RSL history.

Only another minute had elapsed when Al Dawsari found the back of the net himself. By the half hour, it was 4-0. Early in the second half, Al Dawsari rounded off a highly impressive response from Al Hilal, their standout player supplying a statement performance. In his wake, his teammates had followed suit.

The 5-1 thumping was a reminder of Al Hilal’s power and strength and, supplemented the following night by Al Ittihad's 1-1 draw at Al Khaleej, a rallying call that they will not surrender easily their champions’ mantle.

As Al Dawsari remarked after the game, Al Hilal are not going to give up that trophy without a fight.

"Three important points [that] we can build upon and go on a winning run,” he told broadcaster SSC. “We still have a chance to win the league, and we will fight until the last game. Every game is important, and we have to play it like a final.”

That spirit was exemplified in Al Dawsari’s display across his 78 minutes on the Kingdom Arena pitch, a performance soon recognised in him being named Man of the Match. And, rightly so, when you look at the game statistics.

Two goals from three shots on target, and a game-high nine touches in the opposition box. Throw in four passes into the final third, two chances created, and an assist, and it was close to the perfect game from the winger.

What’s more, Al Dawsari didn’t just excel going forward; he recorded a joint-game-high seven recoveries. Clearly, the results of the past month had stung him.

It’s that exact level of commitment and contribution Al Hilal will need again this weekend, when they host Al Ahli in what could be a defining game for both clubs’ respective seasons.

Courtesy of Al Ittihad’s unexpected dropped points, Al Hilal were able to close the gap to five points with 12 matchweeks remaining.

Al Ahli, meanwhile, also on song on Tuesday, too, registering a resounding 4-1 victory against top-four rivals Al Qadsiah to keep in touch with the quartet of sides above them. In doing so, it kept alive their hopes of a second successive top-three finish.

Therefore, three points for either side in Riyadh on Friday would be hugely significant. Undeniably, we are fast approaching the business end of the season, where every point and every win matters that much more; where every result impacts another.

By Friday’s conclusion, Al Hilal could have hauled themselves back to within two points of Al Ittihad, who do not play until Sunday, when they host second-from-bottom Al Okhdood. For Al Ahli, currently fifth, victory might propel them into the top three.

Speaking after that showcase showing against Al Kholood, Al Dawsari referenced his side’s title defence, declaring: “We shouldn't focus too much on the defeat to Al Ittihad. We previously came back from more than seven points behind to win the league, and we can do it again."

The season Al Dawsari points to is the 2021-22 campaign, when Al Ittihad held a 16-point advantage around the midway point, while Al Hilal languished in fifth. At this same stage of the season, with 12 RSL rounds still to unspool, the gap stood at 10 points.

And yet Al Hilal were able to claw their way back to clinch the title by two points. It represented one of the most remarkable comebacks you’re likely to see.

Of course, that lived experience matters. Presumably, it gives Al Dawsari an indestructible belief that he and Al Hilal can reel in Al Ittihad again.

It’s at times like this where the best players stand up and deliver, and Al Dawsari has proven time and again - as he did midweek - that he is a man built for these occasions. Friday, against a dangerous and destructive Al Ahli, provides yet another platform for Al Hilal’s captain marvel to come to the fore.