“We showed them” - Sergej Milinkovic-Savic sends message to critics who mock Saudi Pro League after emphatic Al-Hilal win vs Man City

Al-Hilal’s Sergej Milinković-Savic has passed a message to critics who have refused to give enough credit to the Saudi Pro League. Milinković-Savic claimed that critics have been proven wrong after Al-Hilal defeated Manchester City 4-3 in the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup tournament.

In an interview after Al-Hilal’s empathetic victory over City, Milinković-Savic said (via GOAL):

“Let’s see now if they will criticise us, after this game. We showed them that it is not like what they are speaking about, the league. We showed against Real Madrid, against Salzburg, against Pachuca and again tonight. I hope we will continue to do so that it is not like this.”

Simone Inzaghi's Al-Hilal proved to be more precise in front of goal, scoring two goals in extra time to eliminate Manchester City. The Blue Waves are now through to the quarterfinals and will face Fluminense for a chance to progress to the semi-finals.

Notably, during the group stages, Al-Hilal were undefeated after having shared the spoils against Real Madrid and Red Bull Salzburg. Their solid and unbeaten run goes to prove how well the Saudi Pro League representatives have fared in the competition.

It also arguably proves that Saudi Pro League teams and the league in general is becoming more competitive. Hence, proving critics wrong for referring to football in Saudi Arabia as a purely money-making football league.

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How did Al-Hilal fare against Manchester City in the round of 16 of the Club World Cup competition?

Manchester City FC v Al-Hilal: Round Of 16 - FIFA Club World Cup 2025 - Source: Getty

Manchester City dictated proceedings and controlled 69% of the ball possession as against Al-Hilal's 31%. The Premier League side also registered 30 shots, while Inzaghi's side recorded 17 goal attempts.

But despite City's dominance, Inzaghi's team were more precise in front of goal, scoring four out of six shots on target. During the game, Bernardo Silva opened the scoring for City in the ninth minute.

After the break, goals from Marcos Leonardo (46’) and Malcom (52’) gave Al-Hilal a 2-1 lead. Three minutes after (55’), Erling Haaland restored parity for Pep Guardiola's side, forcing the game to go into extra time.

Kalidou Koulibaly then put Al-Hilal ahead in the 94th minute. But their lead was short-lived as Phil Foden (104’) equalized for City, making the scoreline 3-3.

While it looked like the thrilling encounter was heading for a penalty shootout, Marcos Leonardo scored and won the game 4-3 for his side.

Edited by Nived Zenith