Five games, five losses. Two of them, in finals. He Al-Ittihad of Marcelo Gallardo suffered a defeat Al-Hilal in the definition of the Saudi Arabia Super Cup. El Muñeco has its black beast: the coach of the comfortable local leader is the Portuguese Jorge Jesuswhat every time he faces the Argentine, he defeats him. Relentless. The first memory is the most painful for River: the final of the 2019 Copa Libertadores in Lima, where Flamengo won 2-1 after resolving the match in a handful of minutes, the last.
Now, Al-Hilal, and Jorge Jesus, won the final by 4-1 thanks to the goals of Malcom (of the), Salem Al-Dawsari y Nasser. Hamdallah scored for the loser, in which he acted Karim Benzema, of lackluster work, like the rest of the team. At this point, Gallardo’s adventure in Saudi Arabia is a step back in his career. He rarely managed to put his stamp on the team, he did not win trophies and had several counterpoints with the 36-year-old French attacker.
The recognition as cup technical director that Gallardo forged in River seemed to have some projection on the unstable current situation of Al-Ittihad, the surprising destination he chose last November to continue his career, after rejecting some offers from Europe, among them, one of Olympique Marseille. For example, at the Faisal Suleiman stadium in Jeddah (only 30 percent of its capacity covered), this Monday the yellow team had beaten Al-Wheda 2-1 and had qualified for the final of the Saudi Super Cup. . He was one game away from a championship title.
Al-Ittihad was the defender of the scepter, but Gallardo collided again in a decisive match with the colleague who is his nemesis. Jorge Jesus’ Al-Hilal had beaten by the same result in the other semi-final Al-Nassrthe whole of his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldowho was expelled for an unusual reaction.
The Portuguese coach has that record of 5-0 over the Buenos Aires player. The paternity began in that final of the 2019 Libertadores in Peru, when two goals from Gabigol in the outcome changed the champion. It spread in Arab football, with two successes in the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League and another in the local league. This Thursday’s battle was not just another one: the Doll aspired to win his first trophy and to end the curse. He didn’t get it. He didn’t even hold it N’Golo Kanté – The Best Of N’Golo Kantéthe gladiator of the middle zone.
Al-Hilal is the comfortable leader of the league, with a very strong, consolidated squad, which has the Moroccan in goal Bonoa Kalidou Koulibaly in the center of defense; to the flyers Ruben Neves y Milinkovic-Savic and the forwards Malcom, Mitrovica y Al-Dawsari, author of a goal in Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 victory over Argentina in the World Cup in Qatar.
Al-Hilal Compact 4 vs. Al-Ittihad 1, Saudi Arabia Super Cup final
For a few months Al-Hilal has been without Neymar, who is recovering from a torn ligament in his knee. A loss that did not seem to affect the form of a team that adds 34 wins in a row in all competitions, with 100 goals scored and only 15 received in that period. Of course, he leads easily (12 points over the second) in the Saudi league. Breaking that undefeated record was a huge challenge for Gallardo and his team, who in the domestic tournament are rooms, at ¡30 units! of his qualified rival. And in front of a coach who is already part of the Doll’s nightmares.