ALQASSIM — Al Hilal may have surrendered top spot in the Roshn Saudi League, but there is no sense of panic inside the defending champions’ camp.A 1-1 draw away to Al Taawoun on Tuesday marked a second successive matchweek without finishing at the summit. Yet this is a squad that has already proven its ability to recover ground this season.Just two months ago, Al Hilal returned from the mid-season break trailing Al Nassr by four points.They responded with seven consecutive victories, ending January seven clear at the top.Now, with Al Nassr still to play their rescheduled Round 10 fixture, Al Hilal sit third level on points with their Riyadh rivals and one behind current leaders Al Ahli.In a tightening title race, Al Qadsiah, led by Brendan Rodgers, are only three points off first place.Still, recent form is a concern. The draw in Buraidah — where Rúben Neves converted a first-half penalty before Roger Martínez equalized from the spot in stoppage time — represented Al Hilal’s fifth draw in their past seven league matches.“It was not the result we wanted,” Neves said after collecting his sixth Man of the Match award this season.“In the first half, mainly, we deserved a little bit more. We played very good. The only chance they had was the penalty and it was a goal.”Despite the dropped points, Neves urged calm ahead of Friday’s Riyadh derby at Al Shabab.“We were second until December and we did a fantastic January. We went first,” he said. “We are third now, but of course the team can come back.“We came back in January. We still have three months to play, a lot of games to play.”ALQASSIM — Al Hilal may have surrendered top spot in the Roshn Saudi League, but there is no sense of panic inside the defending champions’ camp.A 1-1 draw away to Al Taawoun on Tuesday marked a second successive matchweek without finishing at the summit. Yet this is a squad that has already proven its ability to recover ground this season.Just two months ago, Al Hilal returned from the mid-season break trailing Al Nassr by four points.They responded with seven consecutive victories, ending January seven clear at the top.Now, with Al Nassr still to play their rescheduled Round 10 fixture, Al Hilal sit third level on points with their Riyadh rivals and one behind current leaders Al Ahli.In a tightening title race, Al Qadsiah, led by Brendan Rodgers, are only three points off first place.Still, recent form is a concern. The draw in Buraidah — where Rúben Neves converted a first-half penalty before Roger Martínez equalized from the spot in stoppage time — represented Al Hilal’s fifth draw in their past seven league matches.“It was not the result we wanted,” Neves said after collecting his sixth Man of the Match award this season.“In the first half, mainly, we deserved a little bit more. We played very good. The only chance they had was the penalty and it was a goal.”Despite the dropped points, Neves urged calm ahead of Friday’s Riyadh derby at Al Shabab.“We were second until December and we did a fantastic January. We went first,” he said. “We are third now, but of course the team can come back.“We came back in January. We still have three months to play, a lot of games to play.”
Al Hilal remain calm despite losing SPL top spot
