“Asian Elite”: Al-Ittihad loses to Shabab Al-Ahly by two

Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli, a player for Al Hilal, expressed his happiness with the victory his team achieved away from home, stressing that the performance provided by the players in the second half was decisive in outperforming the opponent and obtaining the three points.

Martinelli said in exclusive statements to Asharq Al-Awsat: “It was a very difficult match, especially at the beginning, as we faced a strong competitor who started the match very well, but we appeared at a much better level in the second half, and I think we deserved to get the three points.”

Regarding his participation in the left wing position, the Brazilian star explained: “I have always said that the left wing is my favorite position, but I can also play as an outright striker or a right winger, and regardless of the position I participate in, I will do my best to help the team and achieve victories.”

On Tuesday, the Saudi Professional League revealed new amendments to the dates of 3 matches within the ninth round of the Saudi Roshen League, due to logistical considerations and taking into account the minimum rest periods between matches.

According to the amendments, it was decided that the confrontations between Riyadh and Al-Hilal, and Al-Ittihad and Al-Shabab, will be held on Saturday, December 19, 2026, while the Al-Ahly and Al-Nasr confrontations will be held on Saturday, March 6, 2027.

The association confirmed that the remaining matches of the ninth round will continue according to their previously approved dates, without making any changes to them.

These amendments are part of the organizational procedures adopted to manage the competition schedule, taking into account the affiliations of the various teams and the logistical and operational considerations necessary to hold the matches, in addition to ensuring the minimum rest periods between matches.

Italian Simone Inzaghi, coach of the Saudi Al Hilal team, expressed his happiness with the performance of his players against Al Sadd of Qatar, in the second round of the group stage of the AFC Champions League for the elite, stressing that his team imposed control over most of the confrontation and succeeded in achieving an important victory away from home, praising at the same time the great technical capabilities enjoyed by Gabriel Martinelli, and his ability to serve the team in more than one position.

Inzaghi said during the press conference after the confrontation: “I am happy with the performance of the players. We played a great match and controlled most of the match, and I saw a wonderful performance from the team.”

The Italian coach concluded his speech by emphasizing the importance of the victory away from home, pointing out the difficulty of the confrontation against Al Sadd, and said: “The confrontation away from home was never easy, and I thank our great fans for their presence and continued support for the team.”

For his part, Ollie Watkins, Al Hilal player, confirmed that his team faced difficulties during the match, especially at the beginning, before it succeeded in achieving its goal of coming out with the three points.

Watkins said during the press conference: “It was a difficult match. We faced skilled players, and we entered the match at a slow pace, but we achieved victory in the end, and this is the most important thing.”

He added: “We faced a large and strong team on its home field, and our ambition is clear and great, which is to win the championship title.”

The Al Hilal player concluded his speech by emphasizing the continuation of preparations and technical preparations between matches, saying: “Preparations for matches are always continuous, and we provided what was required of us on the field.”