Mahrez signed for Al Shamal two weeks ago, and his two assists handed Al Hilal their first defeat of this ACL Elite
Riyad Mahrez set up both second-half goals as Qatari debutants Al Shamal beat a depleted Al Hilal 3-1 at Al Bayt Stadium.
Oct 28, 2026
Al Hilal came to Al Khor on Tuesday night with two wins from two in the AFC Champions League Elite, and the Saudi Pro League leaders left with their first defeat of the league stage. Al Shamal, playing their first season in the competition, beat them 3-1 at Al Bayt Stadium. Riyad Mahrez set up the two goals that settled it.
Mahrez only signed for the Qatari club on 14 October, as a free agent after leaving Al Ahli. This was his second start for them. At 35 he already has two of these trophies, from Al Ahli’s wins in 2025 and 2026, and Al Hilal’s defence looked like it had not been told.
How the goals came
Wesley Said gave Al Shamal the lead inside eight minutes, low into the bottom corner after Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane found him. Al Hilal levelled in the 32nd minute on the break. Theo Hernández ran at the home defence down the left and Salem Al-Dawsari finished it.
The second half belonged to Mahrez. Three minutes after the restart he crossed low for his Algeria team-mate Baghdad Bounedjah, who beat Mohammed Al-Owais. Ben Romdhane then made it 3-1 in the 54th minute, again from a Mahrez delivery. Mahrez also headed against the post, and Al Hilal never found a way back.
Inzaghi blames tired legs
Simone Inzaghi was without Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinković-Savić. Gabriel Martinelli is injured and Crysencio Summerville was suspended. The coach said his side had played a fine first half and then faded because of fatigue, and that they would go back to Riyadh and prepare for what comes next.
The squad was thin, but the scoreline still stings. Al Hilal had won both of their first two games, starting with a 2-1 win over Al-Gharafa in September, and they stay on six points.
A first win for David Prats
For Al Shamal it is a first win at this level after two draws. They drew 1-1 with Al Ittihad in September, Bounedjah scoring before Georginio Wijnaldum equalised in stoppage time, and 0-0 away to Tractor earlier this month. David Prats’s side now have five points, one behind their visitors, and play Esteghlal on 3 November.
Each club plays eight games in the league stage, so five remain. Five points from three is a fair return for a club that had never played in the competition before September. Esteghlal lost their unbeaten record in Dubai on the same night, so next week’s game against them is a chance to climb the table.