Al Hilal goal hero Aleksandar Mitrovic said he has never played in a better derby after experiencing his first cross-city Riyadh clash against Al Nassr on Friday night.
The former Partizan Belgrade, Newcastle United and Fulham striker, signed from the latter this summer, scored twice in Hilal’s 3-0 victory against their Saudi Pro League (SPL) title rivals at a sold-out King Fahd International Stadium.
The win extended Hilal’s lead at the top of the table over second-placed Nassr to seven points after 15 rounds, while also maintaining the record 18-time Saudi champions unbeaten run in the competition this season.
Mitrovic, 28, struck twice late on in Riyadh, taking his league tally to 13 goals in 13 matches. As a result, he sits second in the scoring charts only to Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Asked afterwards about the experience of his first Riyadh derby, Mitrovic said: “Amazing. Really amazing. I played derbies in many countries, but for sure this is, if not the best, [among] the top, top of the list.
“The pressure before the game, the build-up with fans before the game; really, really amazing, something special. To be honest, I don’t think I ever played a better derby.”
With Hilal 1-0 up courtesy of compatriot Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s header just after the hour, Mitrovic then rounded off the perfect night for the hosts with a close-range header one minute from time, and then a fine low finish three minutes later.
“It was a very open game,” Mitrovic said. “First half, we were better, we dominated, we had probably three, four clean chances to score goals, but we didn’t.
“We knew that, of course, they have quality, a lot of experience. And we knew that if we want to win the game, we have to keep a clean sheet.
“We scored the first goal at the right time, and we defended really, really, well – really compact as a team. Second goal, we killed the game, third goal as well. I could even score a hat-trick today, with a little bit of luck.
“But, overall, great performance, great game from us, and very big win for us and our fans.”
As has quickly become custom, Mitrovic was serenaded by Hilal supporters as he departed the pitch with chants of “Mitro’s on fire” to the tune of dance track Freed From Desire.
“I’m lucky that everywhere I play I always have a great relationship, but with these fans it’s amazing,” the Serbia international said. “Since the first day I arrive. Even when I didn’t come here yet, there was speculation I got so many messages and support.
“And since I arrived, from the first moment, we had a really special connection. They make me happy; I hope I will continue making them happy. It’s a happy marriage.”
In contrast, Ronaldo endured a difficult evening for Nassr, the Portuguese forward indignant when his 74th-minute equaliser was ruled out for the most marginal of offsides.
The defeat represented Nassr’s first in 13 league matches, and in 21 games overall.
Even still, Hilal manager Jorge Jesus sounded a note of caution when asked about implications of Friday’s result on the SPL title race.
“In my experience, seven points doesn’t guarantee anything,” he said. “Yes, we have had a good season, but there are no guarantees in football.
“We have to prepare ourselves for difficult moments to come because the league is very competitive.
“I’m happy with the three points today, but I want to say to the fans that nothing has been achieved yet.”
On the action-packed derby itself, Jorge Jesus added: “I want to pass a message to the fans that this game was a very good spectacle for the Saudi Pro League. It was broadcast all over the world and was a great showcase for Saudi football.
“It was a high-quality game with high quality players. The game, until right at the end, was of the highest competitive level between the two teams.”
Opposite number, Luis Castro, said of the task now facing his team in relation to a title challenge: “It will be difficult. For every team in the championship, it will be difficult. But we push and we keep going.
“We keep applying pressure because it’s still a long way to go in the championship. We are going to compete.”
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2019 Asian Cup final
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
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Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
The specs
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Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
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Ferrari
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Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
The Lowdown
Us
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseqph, Evan Alex and Elisabeth Moss
Rating: 4/5
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The Bio
Favourite Emirati dish: I have so many because it has a lot of herbs and vegetables. Harees (oats with chicken) is one of them
Favourite place to go to: Dubai Mall because it has lots of sports shops.
Her motivation: My performance because I know that whatever I do, if I put the effort in, I’ll get results
During her free time: I like to drink coffee - a latte no sugar and no flavours. I do not like cold drinks
Pet peeve: That with every meal they give you a fries and Pepsi. That is so unhealthy
Advice to anyone who wants to be an ironman: Go for the goal. If you are consistent, you will get there. With the first one, it might not be what they want but they should start and just do it
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
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Queen
Nicki Minaj
(Young Money/Cash Money)
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
