Al Hilal manager Jorge Jesus praised his defence for keeping Cristiano Ronaldo quiet on Monday as the record-breaking Riyadh club booked their place in the Saudi Super Cup final with a 2-1 win over Al Nassr in Abu Dhabi.
Following a scoreless and even first half, Hilal broke the deadlock at the Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium through Saudi international Salem Al Dawsari just after the hour mark, before Brazilian forward Malcom doubled their advantage 11 minutes later.
Ronaldo, who entered the match having scored successive hat-tricks in his previous two games, could not add to his tally this season, and his frustrations eventually boiled over in the 86th minute when he was shown a red card for elbowing a Hilal player.
Sadio Mane halved the deficit with a goal deep into injury time, but it was too late to spark a comeback as Hilal booked a final showdown on Thursday with Al Ittihad, who had earlier defeated Al Wehda in the other semi-final.
“We expected Nassr to change their style of play and indeed they did to hold us in the first half, but we changed gear after the break to take control and earn a well-deserved result and reach the final,” said Jesus, whose Hilal side stretched their world-record winning run to 33 matches.
“The first half was equal. Both sides created scoring opportunities and going into the second half I think we had some clear chances to break the deadlock, particularly in the first 10-15 minutes. We eventually managed to score, not once but twice, and all credit to the players.”
Key to the victory was preventing Ronaldo from scoring. The Portuguese forward has been in prolific form this season and tops the Saudi Pro League scoring charts with 29 goals, seven clear of Hilal's Aleksandar Mitrovic.
“Cristiano is not someone who wants to be in a losing side. Obviously, he lost his cool. We must understand he’s a dangerous player for any team who may encounter him,” Jesus said.
“We had a good defence to counter Cristiano. Our centre-backs Kalidou Koulibaly and (Ali) Albulayhi marked him closely throughout the game. They did a great job in the last line of defence.
“Hilal and Nassr encounters are derbies. We are winning against them for the third time in the season but these results don’t come easy," Jesus added. "Even tonight, it could have gone either way. Our plans, particularly in the second half, worked better. It really was an outstanding team effort.”
Nassr manager Luis Castro came to Ronaldo’s defence by saying he didn’t deserve to be sent off for retaliation.
“Cristiano is a high-profile and famous player and everyone in the opposite side tries to provoke him. I don’t think he did anything that justified his expulsion,” Castro said, before adding that Hilal ultimately deserved to win.
“We had a good first half but the players lost control of the match after the break.
“We had some difficulties in the attack in the second half and Hilal took advantage of that opportunity to score two goals. We also allowed them to take possession in the second half, and we lacked the positivity of the first half.”
THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Lecce v SPAL (6pm)
Bologna v Genoa (9pm)
Atlanta v Roma (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Hellas Verona (3.30pm)
Juventus v Brescia (6pm)
Sampdoria v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sassuolo v Parma (6pm)
Cagliari v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Torino (11.45pm)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The five pillars of Islam
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
