Al-Shamal beat Al-Hilal 3-1 at Al Bayt Stadium on Tuesday, handing Simone Inzaghi’s side their first defeat of this AFC Champions League Elite campaign. Salem Al-Dawsari’s first-half equaliser was not enough as the hosts scored twice early in the second half.
Al-Hilal’s official website confirms the result in its previous-match listing. Goal’s completed report and the full-time records from ESPN and LiveScore provide the scoring details. Al-Hilal remain on six points after three league-stage matches, while Al-Shamal move to five.
Al-Shamal 3-1 Al-Hilal: Salem cancels out early opener
Wesley Said put the hosts ahead in the eighth minute. Goal reports that he beat Mohammed Al-Owais with a low left-footed shot from inside the penalty area.
Al-Hilal replied in the 32nd minute through Salem. Theo Hernandez supplied the ball for the equaliser, bringing the visitors level before the interval.
The 1-1 half-time score left the match open. Instead, Al-Shamal took control soon after the restart, turning parity into a two-goal advantage in six minutes.
Two quick goals decide the second half
Baghdad Bounedjah restored Al-Shamal’s lead in the 48th minute. Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane then made it 3-1 in the 54th.
Riyad Mahrez supplied both second-half goals, according to Goal and LiveScore’s event record.
Al-Hilal did not find another goal. ESPN and LiveScore both mark the final result as 3-1, rather than an in-play score.
First Asian defeat after two opening wins
Al-Hilal had won their opening two matches in this competition, including the 2-0 victory away to Al-Sadd. Tuesday’s defeat ends that winning start, but leaves their points total at six.
For Al-Shamal, the result brings a first win after two draws. It puts them one point behind Al-Hilal after three games. Al-Hilal therefore leave Al Khor without adding to the points they collected in the opening two rounds.
Al-Shamal 3-1 Al-Hilal: Inzaghi points to fatigue
In Al-Hilal’s official post-match update, Inzaghi said fatigue had prevented his side from maintaining their first-half level. He also said it had kept several players from starting.
The coach confirmed that Mohammed Mahzari, Gabriel Martinelli and Crysencio Summerville did not travel to Qatar. Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic travelled with the squad but were not physically fit enough to play. That distinction does not establish their availability for the next match.
Inzaghi praised Salem, who played the full 90 minutes on his return to action, and Saïmon Bouabre’s contribution to creating chances. His earlier comments after the Al-Sadd win concern a different match; this is the club’s new reaction to Tuesday’s defeat.
Sources: Al-Hilal’s official Inzaghi reaction, the AFC’s match report, Al-Hilal’s official previous-match listing, Goal’s completed report, ESPN’s full-time record and LiveScore’s full-time events.
Featured photo: Salem Al-Dawsari during Al-Shamal vs Al-Hilal, 27 October 2026. Source: Al-Hilal official Facebook.
