Theo Hernandez scored twice as Al-Hilal beat 10-man Al-Kholood 3-1 in the Saudi Pro League, cutting the gap to leaders Al-Nassr to two points. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic added the other goal in a match where
Al-Kholood briefly levelled despite the red card.
After Al-Hilal took control in the second half, Hernandez struck on 61 minutes, then again in the 84th minute, to settle a tense contest at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium. Al-Kholood had earlier equalised from the spot during first-half stoppage time.
Hernandez arrived in this match with three league goals and extended that tally with a sharp attacking display. Hernandez produced five attempts, the joint-most for Al-Hilal alongside Milinkovic-Savic, and converted both shots that tested the goalkeeper, while Milinkovic-Savic matched that threat and also acted as a creator.
Underlying numbers also backed Al-Hilal’s dominance against Al-Kholood. Al-Hilal generated 2.11 expected goals from 24 shots, compared with Al-Kholood’s 1.12 from 11 efforts. Al-Hilal have now scored in 81 consecutive Saudi Pro League fixtures, delivering 232 goals, and have hit three or more goals in 44 of those games.
The match began with Al-Hilal on the front foot, as Marcos Leonardo tried an overhead kick from the edge of the area, which Juan Pablo Cozzani held. Al-Kholood responded with pressure of their own, and Ramiro Enrique drew a smart stop from Mohammed Al Yami at the opposite end.
The contest swung on a major decision in the 37th minute. Abdulrahman Al Dosari received a straight red card after a VAR check, having caught Leonardo high on the calf. Even so, Al-Kholood stayed competitive and soon punished an error to reach half-time level.
Milinkovic-Savic opened the scoring for Al-Hilal in the 45th minute, steering a long-range shot into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the D. However, Milinkovic-Savic then conceded a penalty for handball, which Enrique converted in the fifth minute of first-half added time.
Al-Hilal controlled the game after the break against the 10 players of Al-Kholood. On 61 minutes, Milinkovic-Savic’s shot was saved, and Hernandez reacted fastest, driving in from the left side of the box. In the 84th minute, a rehearsed free-kick saw the Serbian touch the ball sideways, and Hernandez placed the shot into the same corner.
Elsewhere in the Saudi Pro League, Al-Qadsiah edged Al-Shabab 3-2. Al-Qadsiah survived a late penalty to secure the points, with Nahitan Nandez’s strike standing as the decisive goal. That result added further interest to the chase for positions below the league’s leading pair.
The result in Buraidah also drew reaction on social media from Al-Hilal’s official account.For Al-Hilal, the victory keeps pressure on Al-Nassr and maintains a long scoring streak, with Hernandez and Milinkovic-Savic again central to their title push.points from Buraidah pic.twitter.com/fUqYDHKwMIAlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) December 31, 2025
