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RIYADH: Al-Hilal secured their spot in the final 16 of the King Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 away victory over Al-Adalah at Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium in Hofuf on Monday night.

The Riyadh side had a goal disallowed by the video assistant referee late in the first half but still managed to go into the break with a one-goal advantage after Abdullah Al-Hamdan scored in the second minute of stoppage time. That ultimately proved to be enough for the win.

Also on Monday, Al-Shabab had two players sent off in the first half but managed to pull off an unlikely 4-2, penalty-shootout away win over Abha at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium, after the game ended in a 2-2 draw after extra time.

After captain Yannick Carrasco’s 13th minute opener for Al-Shabab was canceled out by Afonso Taira 11 minutes later, the dynamic of the match seemed to have turned heavily in favor of the home side when Saad Yaslam received his marching orders just after the half-hour mark.

Things got worse for Al-Shabab when Wesley Hoedt was also sent off, in first half stoppage time.

Against the odds, albeit against lower league opposition, Al-Shabab managed to hold out for the entirety of the second half, taking the match into extra time. Abha looked to have broken the spirits of their exalted opposition when they took the lead through Brazilian midfielder Muralha after 97 minutes.

But Al-Shabab hit back a minute before the end of the first period of extra time, thanks to a goal from Vincent Sierro with an assist from Carrasco.

The inspirational Carrasco seemed to have grabbed the winner in the 119th minute but the goal was chalked off and the match went to penalties. Al-Shabab’s Brazilian goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe proved to be the hero in the shootout, saving twice to secure a famous win as his team triumphed 4-2 on penalties.

Pro League sides also triumphed over Division 1 opposition in the day’s other two cup matches: visitors Al-Kholood defeated Al-Bukayriyah 2-1, while Al-Khaleej recorded a comprehensive 5-0 victory over hosts Al-Tai.

JEDDAH: Al-Hilal manager Simone Inzaghi voiced his frustration after his side surrendered a three-goal advantage in Friday’s Saudi Professional League clash with Al-Ahli, which ended in a 3–3 draw.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Inzaghi praised his players’ performance for most of the game but admitted they failed to manage the closing stages.

“We played very well until the 80th minute, scored three goals, hit the post three (times) and Mendy also made several saves,” he said. “Then Toni reduced the deficit with a special technical touch. We didn’t deal with the match properly after that, and I can’t criticize the team because we played 80 excellent minutes.”

The Italian coach rejected suggestions that his substitutions had unsettled the side, explaining that injuries forced his hand. Malcom was substituted, while Ruben Neves, who had not been fully fit, asked to come off after insisting on starting.

Inzaghi also pointed to the short turnaround from the team’s AFC Champions League fixture earlier in the week, saying his players lacked sufficient recovery time.

He added: “The technical level of the match was high, and those who watched it enjoyed it, but I didn’t enjoy it, because my goal was to win.”

Looking ahead, the Al-Hilal boss said the team must quickly learn from the setback. “We have to learn from the match, analyze our mistakes and correct them. But let’s not forget we were facing the Asian Elite and Super Cup champions — not an easy opponent.”