Al-Hilal’s Saudi Arabian star, Salem Al-Dawsari, has finally broken his personal scoring drought, finding the net against Qatari giants Al-Sadd in a pre-season friendly. The match, part of both teams’ preparations for the new season, ended in a 2-2 draw.
The winger had not scored for his club since the 2023 King’s Cup final. His last goal in any competition came while on international duty with the Saudi national team during their 4-2 victory over Costa Rica in September 2023.
Al-Dawsari opened the scoring for Al-Hilal in the 16th minute of the match, calmly slotting the ball past the Al-Sadd goalkeeper to give his side the early lead. The Saudi Pro League champions doubled their advantage just before halftime, with Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrović making it 2-0 in the 44th minute.
However, Al-Sadd mounted a strong comeback in the second half. Algerian star Baghdad Bounedjah pulled one back for the Qatari side in the 67th minute, before Portuguese midfielder Rodrigo Tabata completed the turnaround with an 88th-minute equalizer to secure the 2-2 draw.
The goal is a significant confidence boost for Al-Dawsari as Al-Hilal build towards their upcoming campaign. The Riyadh-based club will be aiming to defend their Saudi Pro League title and make a strong impact in the AFC Champions League Elite for the 2024/2025 season.
