Al-Hilal matched their own record for the biggest win in Saudi ไPro League history on Thursday, h🍰umiliating Al Fateh with a 9-0 victory to stay top of the table.
The reigning champions, who p🎐reviously put nine goals past Al-Hazem early in their invincible 2023-24 campaign, were helped on their way by a Marcos Leonardo hat-tri♍ck.
They initially had to remain patient, with Kalidou Koul🐎ibaly opening the scoring after 20 minutes and Renan Lodi doubling their lead in the 39th minute, but🍃 Leonardo's first goal – a penalty in first-half stoppage time – saw the floodgates open.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic made it 4-0 in the ninth minute of first-half additional time, then Leonardo got his second nine minutes after the re🎃start to further increase their lead.
Leonardo's hat-trick 𝔉goal was assisted by Ruben Neves just after the hour mark, then Abdullah Al Hamddan and Malcom struck late to put Al-Hilal within reach of their record margin of victory.
Faisal Al Abdulwahed's 98th-minute own goal made it 9-0 before the str🦋uggling visitors saw Ziyad Al Jari sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Al Fateh avoided shipping double figures in the final two minutes of stoppage time, thouღgh they remain rooted to the bottom of the table with just six points, six adrift of safety.
That victory took Jorge Jesus' leaders three point💜s clear of title rivals Al-Ittihad, but goals from Karim Benzema and Steven Bergwijn helped the challengers claw that gap back with a 4-1 win over Al-Raed.
Real Madridꩵ icon Benzema pounced with a close-range finish to put Al-Ittihad ahead in the 21st minute, then Bergwijn struck from the edge of th🐠e D on the stroke of half-time.
Naif Hazazi's left-footed finish halved the arre🅷ars in the second half, but Abdulrahman Al Obud and Houssem Aouar scored to put some gloss on the scoreline f🌳or Al-Ittihad, who remain second on goal difference.