Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus emphasized the difficulty of Al Hilal's 3-1 victory over Al Ettifaq in Round 10 of the Saudi Pro League, despite securing the three points.

In the post-match press conference, Jesus said, "Before facing Al Ettifaq, we knew it would be a tough match, especially as they played in a defensive manner."

He continued, "We faced difficulties, but with the movement and passing between our players, we managed to reach their goal."

Jesus also spoke about the injury to his player, Salem Al Dawsari, explaining, "Salem was subjected to a dangerous tackle that should have resulted in a red card for Mishal Sobiani, the Al Ettifaq player."

He added, "We don’t yet know the extent of the injury, and we will find out after the tests and scans."

Jesus further commented, "His inclusion in the national team at this time might be a risky decision, and we must approach it with caution."

He concluded, "Despite missing several key players, we continue to win, and it's difficult for us to be defeated."

The Al Hilal coach finished by addressing what he perceived as questionable refereeing decisions: "There are decisions that seem to be easily given to the teams competing with us, but not to us. We had a penalty in the match against Al Nassr, and today there should have been a red card for the Al Ettifaq player. There is also doubt about the referee’s decision to award a penalty against João Cancelo."