'Why the world follows the RSL' - Mitrovic on thriller at Al Fateh | OneFootball

Even for someone right in the thick of the action, as his club moved to the brink of securing a runner-up finish in the Roshn Saudi League, Aleksandar Mitrovic acknowledged the spectacle that had just transpired.

“This game had everything,” the Serbia international said following Al Hilal’s frantic, last-gasp 4-3 victory at Al Fateh on Friday. “A lot of goals, fight, passion, full stadium.

“This is why all people around the world start to follow the Saudi league.”

Mitrovic was right. As far as adverts for the RSL go, this was pretty much up there.

For a start, the stakes were high: hosts Al Fateh were seeking a win to almost secure top-flight survival, while having seen Al Ittihad crowned champions the previous night, Al Hilal knew victory would nearly wrap up second spot.

Accordingly, the Matchweek 32 encounter delivered. Al Fateh were 2-0 up a mere 24 minutes in, Sofiane Bendebka with the double. Then Al Hilal rebounded to draw level on the hour, with the Al Dawsaris – Nasser and Salem – scoring 10 minutes apart.

Eight minutes from time, Al Fateh reclaimed the lead, through veteran performer Mourad Batna. Yet, within a flash, Al Hilal looked to have snatched a point, when Mitrovic netted his 17th goal of an injury-interrupted RSL season.

Still, there for time for another. In injury-time, Al Hilal’s No.9 collected Malcom’s pass inside the Al Fateh penalty area, swivelled, and sent a deflected effort home for the win.

However, Al Hilal were made to sweat. In the 12th minute of additional time, Matias Vargas’ incredible curler from range was ruled out by VAR. Al Hilal had done it. Only just.

“Crazy game,” Mitrovic emphasised. “We knew it's going to be tough against a great, great team. The position they are [14th in the table] is not the best, but they're very good team with good individuals, a great coach, and I hope they stay up.

“We knew the game is going to be tough, but we prepared well after a bad time [recently]… We believed until the end. And we managed somehow to win the game at the end.”

Gathering his thoughts once more, Mitrovic again spoke of the spectacle.

“A lot of goals, a lot of tackles, a lot of fight,” he said. “To watch, for the fans in the stadium, for the fans at home, was great. But on the pitch it was very hard.

“So, yeah, big three points for us against a very good team.”

A vital victory, indeed. With two rounds remaining, Al Hilal sit six points ahead of Al Qadsiah in third. Since the two meet on the 2024-25 RSL's final day next week, and with the head-to-head record decisive in the ultimate standings, a point would seal second for the now-deposed champions.