After the Bono shock: Koulibaly and Al-Owais land Al-Hilal in trouble against Neom

Successive blows Al-Hilal suffered a sudden blow before kick-off against Neom. Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou pulled up injured during the warm-up, forcing Italian coach Simone Inzaghi to throw in Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais at the last moment. Things did not go as Al-Hilal wanted. Al-Owais put in a poor showing, and the side fell into a state of defensive confusion that Neom exploited to pile the pressure on the hosts throughout the first half. Al-Hilal's suffering deepened in the 15th minute when Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly headed into his own net, handing Neom an early lead and putting Al-Owais to a tough test from the outset. The goal landed just as Al-Hilal were trying to overcome the shock of losing Bounou, complicating Inzaghi's task further with his side trailing to an opponent who had entered the match brimming with confidence. هدف! ⚽️كوليبالي يسجّل بالخطأ في مرماه، ويمنح نيوم التقدم قبل مرور ربع ساعة على البداية #الهلال_نيوم | #دوري_روشن_السعودي pic.twitter.com/IJtiSwSCDf Before the break, the errors kept coming. Al-Owais charged off his line in the 44th minute, the ball reached the Neom penalty area amid clear defensive confusion, and Amadou Koné pounced to make it two for the hosts. Bounou's sudden departure had turned into a real crisis. Al-Owais failed to fill the Moroccan goalkeeper's boots in the required manner, while the defensive line marshalled by Koulibaly handed Neom a double advantage. هدف! ⚽️أمادو كوني يضاعف تقدم نيوم، ويسجّل الهدف الثاني في شباك الهلال #الهلال_نيوم | #دوري_روشن_السعودي pic.twitter.com/AA6NGfhrOS An Opta statistic laid Al-Hilal's plight bare. Neom had won all three matches in which they scored the opening goal across the first five rounds of the Roshn League this season. That two-goal lead pitted Al-Hilal against a striking record, especially with a Neom side who had shown throughout the season's start that they could protect a lead once they scored first. Al-Hilal had entered the sixth round with a perfect record. They had won their first five matches and collected 15 points before the clash with Neom turned into a difficult test, undone by Bounou's injury and the individual errors that handed the hosts a big advantage. Trailing 0-2 at the break is a rare sight for Al-Hilal in the Pro League. The last time they went in two or more goals down between the halves came against Al-Fateh in May 2025, when they ended the first half trailing by the same score before rising up after the interval to turn the tables and secure a 4-3 win. This article first appeared on Goal.com and was syndicated with permission.